Thinking about buying a field

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Thinking about buying a field
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Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 12:18 pm Post subject: Thinking about buying a field

There's a field near my work, in Calderdale, in a small village, round the back of the church. The field used to be church owned allotments, only three of them, but the church itself and the field is being sold for redevelopment, either together or separately. Planning permission has been given to convert the church into two very expensive houses.

The field is in green belt and technically outside the village boundary and can only be used for agriculture, market or allotment gardening. Having spoken to the council planning office they have said that they would not approve change of use from a field to a private garden or for building.

The estate agent seems to be hoping that someone will make a mistake and either the developer of the church will try to turn it into a garden or someone will try to build on it.

The field is 60m x 20m and has no water supply (though there is permision for one).

What's a reasonable offer for a field this size?

I might take a chance and put in a silly low offer in on the grounds that you never know. My idea is to use it for orchard and soft fruit and low maintenance veg.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45421
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 12:23 pm Post subject:

Having looked at loads of possibilities in the last 6 months it's definitely worth buying, the planning authority will initially turn down applications for anything at all, but I was speaking to an agent yesterday that had dealt with a similar property last year in a notoriously difficult planning district. Every prospective purchaser that approached the planning office was told in no uncertain terms that no development would be allowed so it went for a pittance. A year later the guy that bought it got consent for a 4 bed house....

And it can be quite cheap to build a house.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45421
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 12:30 pm Post subject:
Have you looked at your local authorities regional plan?

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 1:13 pm Post subject:

Thanks - I just have and it's full of lots of aspirations with caveats which suggest everything is written in jelly. Generally, green stays green unless you can argue otherwise. The maps were not available on line.

I overstimated the size of the field it's 40m x 20m. is that .8 of a hectare and approx half an acre?

I think someone will pay qute a bit for it and then sit on it and chip away at the planning dept. However as the estate agent isn't marketing it very well, the field is always attached to the £500k development info of the church itself, it may slip under the radar.

Any suggestions on price anybody?

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45421
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 1:19 pm Post subject:

.8 of a hectare is 2 acres, if the field was sold as agricultural it'd be anywhere between £2.5k - £5k per acre. If the church were looking to sell to one of the potential house owners for equestrian or other purposes I reckon they'd be after nearer £20 k an acre.

The field I was trying to buy fro the CofE was worth about £4k an acre, they wanted £20k an acre and had a whole long list of covenants that I'd be expected to abide by. They also included a provision for a "clawback" of a certain percentage of any value uplift achieved by me through consents and development.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45421
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 1:21 pm Post subject:
By my calcs i make that around .2 of an acre

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 1:22 pm Post subject:
Where is it? I'd be tempted by the whole lot to be honest - or is it monopoly money?

thos

Joined: 08 Mar 2005
Posts: 1139
Location: Jauche, Duchy of Brabant (Bourgogne-ci) and Charolles, Duchy of Burgundy (Bourgogne-ça)

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 1:24 pm Post subject:

Behemoth wrote:

Sorry, 40m x 20m = 800m² = 8 Are = 0.08 hA
That is about 0.2 acres.

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 1:34 pm Post subject:

Just spent the last half hour working it out - should have waited to be corrected!

The church can only be sold to someone with the wherewithall to complete the project outlined in the planning permission - i.e. Cost approx £400k plus £200k development money.

It's south of bradford, east of halifax, and that's as close a you get!

Assuming it goes as agric land at about £4k/ acre that approx £800. Bet it goes for much more. Whoever buys the church will pick it up in the package and just sit on it.

But....

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45421
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 1:34 pm Post subject:

Now that we're agreed that it's 0.2 acres I can't see anyone buying it except as an extension to their garden which the council will probably not allow, I can't see that much hope of it being developed either as you have to present a convincing case for the reasons you'd like to build on it (i.e. looking after livestock etc).

So in answer to your question on price it's really all down to how much the church want for it, is it being handled locally or is it Church Commission?

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 1:40 pm Post subject:
Church commision, the church has been decomissioned/deactivated/demobbed or whatever they do to such premises and the estate agent handles a lot of ecclisiastical properties. They're acting on the chrurch commision behalf.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45421
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 1:43 pm Post subject:
Have the agaent given you any indication? And also are there any covenants or restrictions from the church's point of view?

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 1:53 pm Post subject:
Might all be academic as the closing date for tenders was noon today

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45421
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 1:56 pm Post subject:
You never know, they may not have received any offers. Give the agents a ring

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 3:15 pm Post subject:
Just did - and he'd just spoken to the commisioners - the field went with the church for a significant amount. I've asked him to contact me should things change.

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