DOES MY LAND HAVE DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL?
How to find out whether your land could be developed
If you own a large garden, paddock, vacant plot, redundant building or other piece of land, you may be wondering whether it could be developed.
There is rarely a simple yes or no answer.
The development potential of land depends on a combination of planning policy, location, access, surrounding development, planning history and physical constraints. A site that initially appears difficult may still present an opportunity, while land that looks ideal on a map can sometimes be affected by constraints that significantly limit what can be built.
The key is to understand these issues before committing significant money to architectural designs, surveys or a planning application.
HOW DO I KNOW IF MY LAND CAN BE DEVELOPED?
The first step is to understand where the land sits within the planning system.
Every local planning authority has policies controlling where new development should take place and what forms of development may be acceptable.
Some of the first questions to consider are:
Is the land within an existing town or village?
Is it within or outside a defined settlement boundary?
Is the site allocated for development?
Is it previously developed land or undeveloped land?
Is it within the Green Belt, open countryside or another protected area?
Are there policies supporting the type of development being considered?
Has development previously been proposed on the site?
Have similar sites nearby received planning permission?
None of these questions should necessarily be considered in isolation. Planning decisions usually involve balancing a number of policies and site-specific considerations.
DOES LAND NEED PLANNING PERMISSION TO HAVE DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL?
No.
Land can have development potential without having planning permission.
In fact, identifying land where the planning potential has not yet been established is often where significant value can be created.
The important question is whether there is a realistic planning case for changing or intensifying the use of the land.
Depending on the circumstances, the first step may not need to be a full planning application. Other routes can include an initial feasibility assessment, pre-application advice or Permission in Principle.
The appropriate strategy depends on the site and the level of planning risk involved.
CAN A LARGE GARDEN BE DEVELOPED?
Potentially.
Large residential gardens can sometimes accommodate one or more additional homes through garden development, infill development or backland development.
The council will normally consider matters including:
The character and pattern of surrounding development
Access to the proposed dwelling
The relationship with neighbouring homes
Overlooking and privacy
Garden and amenity space
Parking
Trees and landscaping
Ecology and biodiversity
The design, scale and position of the proposed building
The fact that there is physically enough room for another house does not automatically mean planning permission will be granted.
CAN A PADDOCK OR AGRICULTURAL LAND BE DEVELOPED?
Sometimes, but the planning position can be more challenging.
Paddocks and agricultural land are frequently located outside established settlements, where planning policies may restrict new residential development.
That does not mean every such site is incapable of development.
Its relationship with an existing village or town, surrounding buildings, access, landscape impact, existing uses and the particular planning policies applying to the area all need to be considered.
Different opportunities may also exist for rural housing, self-build, conversion, tourism or other forms of development depending on the circumstances.
DOES BEING OUTSIDE A SETTLEMENT BOUNDARY MEAN I CAN'T BUILD?
Not necessarily.
Settlement boundaries are commonly used by local planning authorities to distinguish settlements from the surrounding countryside.
Being outside one can make residential development more difficult because countryside policies may apply. However, it should not automatically be assumed that development is impossible.
The weight given to settlement boundaries and other policies depends on the adopted development plan, national planning policy and the particular circumstances of the proposal.
There may also be specific policy routes for certain forms of development.
WHAT PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS CAN AFFECT DEVELOPMENT?
Even where the planning principle appears promising, physical and environmental constraints can affect what is achievable.
Access and highways
A site normally needs suitable access. Visibility, road conditions, traffic generation and the ability for vehicles and pedestrians to enter and leave safely may all need consideration.
Flood risk and drainage
Flooding can significantly influence development potential. The source and level of flood risk, proposed use and availability of alternative land can all be relevant.
Trees
Protected or important trees can constrain where buildings and access roads can be positioned.
Ecology and biodiversity
Habitats, protected species and biodiversity requirements may influence both the developable area and the information required with a planning application.
Heritage
Listed buildings, Conservation Areas and other heritage assets can affect the form and scale of development considered appropriate.
Neighbouring properties
New development normally needs to achieve an acceptable relationship with existing homes in terms of privacy, overlooking, daylight, outlook and general amenity.
A constraint does not necessarily prevent development. Often the question is whether the scheme can be designed and planned appropriately in response to it.
DOES PREVIOUS PLANNING HISTORY MATTER?
Yes — and it can be extremely useful.
Previous applications can show how the council has considered development on the land before and identify the issues likely to be important in any future application.
A previous refusal does not necessarily mean that the land cannot be developed.
The proposal may have been refused because of a particular design, access arrangement or lack of supporting information rather than because development was fundamentally unacceptable.
Planning policy and other circumstances can also change over time.
It is therefore important to understand why an application was refused rather than simply seeing that a refusal exists.
Decisions affecting comparable sites nearby can also provide useful context, although every planning application is considered on its own merits.
HOW MANY HOUSES COULD I BUILD ON MY LAND?
This depends on considerably more than the size of the site.
The appropriate development capacity can be influenced by:
Local character and density
Access
Building heights
Plot dimensions
Parking
Garden and amenity requirements
Neighbouring properties
Trees and landscaping
Flood risk and drainage
Ecology
Planning policy
The type and size of homes proposed
Trying to achieve the maximum possible number of houses is not always the best planning or development strategy.
Sometimes a smaller, well-designed scheme can have a stronger prospect of obtaining planning permission and ultimately represent a better development proposition.
WHAT SHOULD I DO BEFORE PAYING FOR A PLANNING APPLICATION?
One of the most common mistakes is to design the scheme before properly understanding the site.
Detailed architectural drawings and technical surveys can become expensive. If there is a fundamental planning, access or flood-risk problem, that expenditure may have been premature.
For uncertain sites, it can be more sensible to establish the principle and likely form of development first.
SWAP VIEW
Our starting point is usually to ask three questions:
Is there a credible planning case for development?
What form and scale of development appears appropriate?
What is the most proportionate next step to establish greater certainty?
That next step could be further feasibility work, an indicative layout, pre-application advice, Permission in Principle or a planning application.
The objective is not to eliminate every possible risk before progressing. It is to identify the issues that could fundamentally affect the opportunity before significant money is spent.
HOW CAN SWAP ASSESS THE DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF MY LAND?
An initial assessment can consider matters such as:
Planning policy and designations
Settlement boundaries and land allocations
Planning history
Nearby planning decisions
Access
Flood risk
Trees and ecology
Heritage
Surrounding development
Potential development capacity
Appropriate planning strategy
The level of investigation required will depend on the site.
For some properties, the planning position can become relatively clear following an initial review. More complex or constrained sites may require specialist technical input before a reliable conclusion can be reached.
HAVE LAND YOU THINK COULD BE DEVELOPED?
If you own a garden, paddock, building or piece of land and would like to understand its development potential, send us the site address, a plan if you have one, and a brief description of what you're considering.
SWAP combines planning, architecture and development experience to consider not only whether development may be possible, but what could realistically be achieved and the most appropriate route forward.