Finding the owner of some land?
Discussion
Is there any easy method to find who owns a patch of land?
The land in question doesn't exactly have an address as there are no properties on it - it is currently a field.
And would they have the power to sell off a patch of land which is currently part of a field and which is currently used for animal grazing?
You may have guessed that I'm looking to see if it is feasible to buy a modest patch of land in an idyllic location to then apply to see if I can get planning application for a new build.
The land has an existing lane running to it but I would have to extend electric and water services to the location by about 40m from the existing road.
I'm guessing there is no method to "test the water" on the possibility of planning approval before the land is bought?
The land in question doesn't exactly have an address as there are no properties on it - it is currently a field.
And would they have the power to sell off a patch of land which is currently part of a field and which is currently used for animal grazing?
You may have guessed that I'm looking to see if it is feasible to buy a modest patch of land in an idyllic location to then apply to see if I can get planning application for a new build.
The land has an existing lane running to it but I would have to extend electric and water services to the location by about 40m from the existing road.
I'm guessing there is no method to "test the water" on the possibility of planning approval before the land is bought?
GroundZero said:
Is there any easy method to find who owns a patch of land?
The land in question doesn't exactly have an address as there are no properties on it - it is currently a field.
And would they have the power to sell off a patch of land which is currently part of a field and which is currently used for animal grazing?
You may have guessed that I'm looking to see if it is feasible to buy a modest patch of land in an idyllic location to then apply to see if I can get planning application for a new build.
The land has an existing lane running to it but I would have to extend electric and water services to the location by about 50m from the existing road.
I'm guessing there is no method to "test the water" on the possibility of planning approval before the land is bought?
This thread would get more replies if it was moved to 'Homes, Gardens and DIY'.The land in question doesn't exactly have an address as there are no properties on it - it is currently a field.
And would they have the power to sell off a patch of land which is currently part of a field and which is currently used for animal grazing?
You may have guessed that I'm looking to see if it is feasible to buy a modest patch of land in an idyllic location to then apply to see if I can get planning application for a new build.
The land has an existing lane running to it but I would have to extend electric and water services to the location by about 50m from the existing road.
I'm guessing there is no method to "test the water" on the possibility of planning approval before the land is bought?
You have raised several questions here:
Firstly I will stress that I am not a planning consultant, however I do buy land then obtain permission on it for homes or building plots, then sell those plots or homes.
There are members on PH such as Equus who are planning consultants, and it would be worth seeing what they have to say, as they will be more accurate than me regarding the exact process. Blueg33 will also be more than able to advise.
1) You can pay a small fee to use Land Registry to see if the land is registered to anyone, and who that person or business is. You can use the Land Registry 'map search' facility, whereby you can find the bit of land on a map and drop a pin onto it for searching. No need to have an address or anything. The land is not guaranteed to be on the Land Registry database, but it is probably worth a try.
https://eservices.landregistry.gov.uk/eservices/Fi...
2) We would need more details about the piece of land before giving advice regarding if you could build on it, but if it isn't already within a village or settlement, then I would suggest you are extremely unlikely to be granted any sort of permission for a building. There are very few circumstances in which you can simply build a new home in open countryside, even if there are a few other existing homes nearby.
3)You can apply to the local council planning department for pre-application advice. This is usually a small fee or free in some cases. This process would tell if you if building anything may be possible without you owning the land or having to spend money having plans drawn up for planning application submission. This would take the form of a discussion between you and the local planning officer, and they would advise you of the issues you may face on applying for planning permission.
If, after initial enquires, you feel you may get permission on the land, it would be worth getting the land owner to discuss the possible sale before you do anything else. They may not want to sell it at all, or they may want more money than you want to pay, and you don't want to be wasting your time or money, to their time and money. If you get that far, then we can have discussions about getting an 'option agreement' on the land, whereby you effectively get the land owner into an agreement to sell the land to you if you manage to get planning permission on it.
If you do not go down the 'option agreement' route, then you potentially risk the following:
a) You buy the land without planning permission. You then find out via a planning application refusal that it can only be used a field, and you have therefore wasted your money buying the land.
b) You get planning permission on it (or very favourable pre-app advice), and then based on this, the land owner decides it is worth more because you got permission, and then he asks you for a lot more money, or sells to someone else.
If you post the location of the land, it would help greatly. Equus, Blueg33 or even myself would be able to give you more info if you did that.
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 7th December 16:24
A lot of countryside land isn't on the Land Registry system - if the land is passed from generation to generation there isn't a transaction. When the land is sold it gets added to the system.
Something like 30% of land isn't registered - maybe it's only 30% is registered, I forget, it's a long time since I worked at Land Registry, they were trying to get more landowners to register.
Something like 30% of land isn't registered - maybe it's only 30% is registered, I forget, it's a long time since I worked at Land Registry, they were trying to get more landowners to register.
john2443 said:
A lot of countryside land isn't on the Land Registry system - if the land is passed from generation to generation there isn't a transaction. When the land is sold it gets added to the system.
Something like 30% of land isn't registered - maybe it's only 30% is registered, I forget, it's a long time since I worked at Land Registry, they were trying to get more landowners to register.
Over 85% of land in England and Wales is now registered, leaving only 15% unregistered, but yes, there is always the chance that it isn't on the list.Something like 30% of land isn't registered - maybe it's only 30% is registered, I forget, it's a long time since I worked at Land Registry, they were trying to get more landowners to register.
You mention an existing lane running to the field. If both you and the owner will need access along this lane after you have bought your parcel then you will obviously need to agree a private right of way along the lane, together with permissions to lay services.
If the field is currently in use for agricultural operations, then from time to time the farmer will access it; particularly if it has livestock on it. Before approaching them however, be aware that they might be a tenant rather than the owner.
If the field is currently in use for agricultural operations, then from time to time the farmer will access it; particularly if it has livestock on it. Before approaching them however, be aware that they might be a tenant rather than the owner.
If you wish to pm me the location of the land (a marked-up extract from Google Maps, for example, along with the name of the nearest road and settlement) I'll be able to tell you if the land is registered, at no cost.
If it is registered, then it only costs literally a £few to obtain the title document that gives the owner.
I may also be able to tell you very quickly whether it stands any chance whatsoever of obtaining Planning Permission - but from your description I'd say that there's a 90+% chance that you don't have a snowball in hell's chance, outside of Paragraph 79 (which would increase your chances to approximately those of a snowball in North Africa).
Beyond that, as LordM says, you're into pre-application inquiries, options/conditional contracts/overage clauses and all the rest, which is when it starts to cost proper money.
If it is registered, then it only costs literally a £few to obtain the title document that gives the owner.
I may also be able to tell you very quickly whether it stands any chance whatsoever of obtaining Planning Permission - but from your description I'd say that there's a 90+% chance that you don't have a snowball in hell's chance, outside of Paragraph 79 (which would increase your chances to approximately those of a snowball in North Africa).
Beyond that, as LordM says, you're into pre-application inquiries, options/conditional contracts/overage clauses and all the rest, which is when it starts to cost proper money.
Equus said:
If you wish to pm me the location of the land (a marked-up extract from Google Maps, for example, along with the name of the nearest road and settlement) I'll be able to tell you if the land is registered, at no cost.
If it is registered, then it only costs literally a £few to obtain the title document that gives the owner.
I may also be able to tell you very quickly whether it stands any chance whatsoever of obtaining Planning Permission - but from your description I'd say that there's a 90+% chance that you don't have a snowball in hell's chance, outside of Paragraph 79 (which would increase your chances to approximately those of a snowball in North Africa).
Beyond that, as LordM says, you're into pre-application inquiries, options/conditional contracts/overage clauses and all the rest, which is when it starts to cost proper money.
I wish I had a quid for very time over the years someone has told me they will buy / or have bought a field and think its a given they can build on it.If it is registered, then it only costs literally a £few to obtain the title document that gives the owner.
I may also be able to tell you very quickly whether it stands any chance whatsoever of obtaining Planning Permission - but from your description I'd say that there's a 90+% chance that you don't have a snowball in hell's chance, outside of Paragraph 79 (which would increase your chances to approximately those of a snowball in North Africa).
Beyond that, as LordM says, you're into pre-application inquiries, options/conditional contracts/overage clauses and all the rest, which is when it starts to cost proper money.
bobtail4x4 said:
I wish I had a quid for very time over the years someone has told me they will buy / or have bought a field and think its a given they can build on it.
Yeah, fully aware that wasn't the case, but glad to have read above that there is pre-application advice, something that I wasn't aware of. Again, accepted that this is no guarantee of course.Just one question however regarding the pre-application advice route, would the effort on my part have to include proposed plans?
Or is it a case that the more information I can provide, the better the advice I would receive in return?
GroundZero said:
Yeah, fully aware that wasn't the case, but glad to have read above that there is pre-application advice, something that I wasn't aware of. Again, accepted that this is no guarantee of course.
Just one question however regarding the pre-application advice route, would the effort on my part have to include proposed plans?
Or is it a case that the more information I can provide, the better the advice I would receive in return?
Just to muddy the water a bit. Planning officers will sometimes tell you that you stand no chance of obtaining PP, because your proposal is contentious. That is not to say that you won't obtain planning permission, particularly if you involve a decent planning consultant!Just one question however regarding the pre-application advice route, would the effort on my part have to include proposed plans?
Or is it a case that the more information I can provide, the better the advice I would receive in return?
Not wishing to dampen your enthusiasm, however, but if you have spotted a tasty looking plot, on which you'd like to build, there is likely to be a very good reason why there isn't a property there already!
Equus said:
bobtail4x4 said:
I wish I had a quid for very time over the years someone has told me they will buy / or have bought a field and think its a given they can build on it.
You and me both.
Lord Marylebone said:
2) We would need more details about the piece of land before giving advice regarding if you could build on it, but if it isn't already within a village or settlement, then I would suggest you are extremely unlikely to be granted any sort of permission for a building. There are very few circumstances in which you can simply build a new home in open countryside, even if there are a few other existing homes nearby.
Is the key to this finding land that has a (no longer used) farm building on it? Then apply to convert (knock down and rebuild) to residential dwelling?Also, there is a piece of land near me (in village) on a private road with properties one side and others further down so electrics etc. are all there.
It's about an acre or so and just overgrown mess (with trees) but under/in the mess are a couple of old delapidated farm building that has just been taken over by the over growth.
Personally, like to buy it and either put one nice house with garage and decent garden to live in, or 2/3 houses to sell on.
ApexCult said:
spikeyhead said:
Anyone can buy a field and build a house on it, the real issue is doing it in a way that doesn't involve being made to knock it down again shortly afterwards
Just build a wall of hay-bales around it!I’m sure it’d come out in the wash, but certain land has restrictions from previous sales too.
Ie, lots of councils or nationalised corporations had land, like Yorkshire Water corp and Leeds Corp (iirc), and they’d put restrictions on when it was sold.
But there is also a chance these can be removed.
It’s definitely a process that’ll cost money to resolve to the best outcome, but also if the landowner gets a sniff they’ll just be a pain.
Imo...
Farmers can be real divvies when it comes to land in my experience.
You won’t know until it’s possibly too late.
Don’t approach the farmer until you’re ready to make an educated and well formulated offer that considers everything like access, water, sewerage. You may need that landowner for access and so on, so keeping them on side, or getting the land required for access etc, is key.
Ie, lots of councils or nationalised corporations had land, like Yorkshire Water corp and Leeds Corp (iirc), and they’d put restrictions on when it was sold.
But there is also a chance these can be removed.
It’s definitely a process that’ll cost money to resolve to the best outcome, but also if the landowner gets a sniff they’ll just be a pain.
Imo...
Farmers can be real divvies when it comes to land in my experience.
You won’t know until it’s possibly too late.
Don’t approach the farmer until you’re ready to make an educated and well formulated offer that considers everything like access, water, sewerage. You may need that landowner for access and so on, so keeping them on side, or getting the land required for access etc, is key.
Dracoro said:
Lord Marylebone said:
2) We would need more details about the piece of land before giving advice regarding if you could build on it, but if it isn't already within a village or settlement, then I would suggest you are extremely unlikely to be granted any sort of permission for a building. There are very few circumstances in which you can simply build a new home in open countryside, even if there are a few other existing homes nearby.
Is the key to this finding land that has a (no longer used) farm building on it? Then apply to convert (knock down and rebuild) to residential dwelling?Also, there is a piece of land near me (in village) on a private road with properties one side and others further down so electrics etc. are all there.
It's about an acre or so and just overgrown mess (with trees) but under/in the mess are a couple of old delapidated farm building that has just been taken over by the over growth.
Personally, like to buy it and either put one nice house with garage and decent garden to live in, or 2/3 houses to sell on.
Dracoro said:
Dracoro said:
Lord Marylebone said:
2) We would need more details about the piece of land before giving advice regarding if you could build on it, but if it isn't already within a village or settlement, then I would suggest you are extremely unlikely to be granted any sort of permission for a building. There are very few circumstances in which you can simply build a new home in open countryside, even if there are a few other existing homes nearby.
Is the key to this finding land that has a (no longer used) farm building on it? Then apply to convert (knock down and rebuild) to residential dwelling?Also, there is a piece of land near me (in village) on a private road with properties one side and others further down so electrics etc. are all there.
It's about an acre or so and just overgrown mess (with trees) but under/in the mess are a couple of old delapidated farm building that has just been taken over by the over growth.
Personally, like to buy it and either put one nice house with garage and decent garden to live in, or 2/3 houses to sell on.
There are numerous factors that come into play as to wether you would get permission to build there, and speaking to a planning consultant would be the way forward.
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