greenbelt

[knockyoak]

Hi All

I am hoping to build a 4 bed house on what is currently greenbelt land.  The land am looking at building on is currently owned by a farmer and has front road access (there are houses opposite and to the side of it).  Does anyone know if it adds any value to a planning application if you are planning on building a timber frame house, have fruit orchards in the garden etc.... plus a house design that doesnt stick out like a sore thumb.....I need anyhelp which will help me get past planning permission.

 

thanks

[jake-the-peg]

It depends a bit where you live but you've got your work cut out for you. Generally development on green belt is prohibited and if it was easy to get around it just by producing a sympathetic design everyone would be doing it.

Check out your council's website on the local plan but there are avenues. The most common one is that you have to be based there for business reasons. For example you were running a riding school and needed to be on-site to take care of the horses.

Frankly just claiming that you want to put up something that's inoffensive with apple trees is unlikely to cut the mustard. If you want any chance on that front you'd be better trying to claim that the design was award winning cutting edge architecture. There's something known as "Gummers law" it was spearheaded by John Gummer in the last days of the Major government to ensure that new country houses could be built if they were of architectural merit.

Look it up on Google but I think the criteria is pretty stringent

[Chessman]

Change your name to John Prescott, and you'll have no trouble.

[lindapinda]

I'm sorry to say this,but if land is designated green-belt,why on earth do you think you have a right to build there? It's designated for a reason,and is therefore protected to stop building! My husband's family own land in an area that has been designated green-belt,we would like to be able to build our own house there,but accept the fact that it is green-belt!

[knockyoak]

linda, the area of greenbelt that I am looking at building on has houses next to it and opposite it and its on the outskirts of town (its a 30 second walk to my local town) so its not as if I am trying to build a house in a middle of a field with no civilisation near it.  If I dont get planning permission its only a matter of time before a property developer does (due to this land being on the outskirts of town) who wants to build on greenbelt just for a profit disregarding the design of the houses that they build, the local environment and cramming as many houses they can into a plot.  Due to the current housing shortage unfortunately this may become a reality.  Whereby I am developing a house for my own use with a design that fits within the local country environment and  will also free up my current house for another family

jake the peg thanks for the advice ! 

[sandbach99]

If it is infill ie between houses this is often alright, take some pictures showing the plot and the other houses,  draw a rough plan of the area and what you intend to build and ask the council planning officer to meet you,  he/she will give you the best advice

[jake-the-peg]

As Sandbach says if it's infill there's no problem at all but I don't think that's the case from what you've said.

It sounds as if this is village expansion which is often strongly resisted by planners. I wouldn't advise going down the route of arguing that this helps housing availability when it's clearly for your own benefit you'll only get the planning officers angry - I think they hear that a lot.

The parish council often comment on all village planning permissions if you can secure their support and the support of any of your prospective immediate neighbours that'd help your case a bit. It might also help if you have any family links in the area - Returning to family roots or being closer to dependant relatives is likely to be viewed more sympathetically than "I want to live in a nice house". If any part of the site has derelict agricultural buildings you might be able to claim it's brownfield development which wuld make it easy.

Remember you need to give these people a good reason why you should be allowed to build here.

This last suggestion might require slightly deep pockets but personally If I wanted to build on green field Id look at people like this http://www.salvoweb.com/dealers/heritage-oak-buildings/

who dissasemble and sell historic oak buildings that would otherwise be demolished. I'd find one from the area I wanted to build on and then I'd try to get the support of the local historic buildings officer on the grounds that by resurrecting and converting a building like this I'd be saving some of the county's historic vernacular buildings.

Best of luck anyway 

[knockyoak]

thanks to everyone who has replied on this forum for my question....I was stuck on the best ways to proceed but with the help of the replies I've now got a starting point....if anyone else has anymore ideas then please let me know ....alternatively people can contact me on [email protected]

 

thanks

 

Peter