Farm buildings development.

[Muttsnutts]

After some general advice and guidance on the redevelopment of a farm yard, Just throwing some ideas around to gain others opinions. The farm yard is now surrounded by houses and an urban area now. So thoughts have turned to the potential of the land, I know some would suggest housing, but given the surrounding area we would like to explore the options of commercial opportunity's.

So without exact measurements I would estimate it to be around the 2.5 acre give or take a small margin.

Our thoughts would be to have a mixed area of shops/business office unit space, café, and small games/play park for children.

Planning permission shouldn't be an issue. But my questions are about how to go about designing and getting the ideas off the ground ? what first steps do we need to think about, business plan/advertising/research/approaching developers etc......

Also a question around financing, self funding is a possibility, but is there any advantages of getting a company to build and fund, then just receive rental income ?

TIA

 

[Forever Fendt]

First step secure some planning to relocate your yard if that's what you are going to do and see how that goes

 

[chaffcutter]

Go and have a look around some similar type of developments to get some perspective on how things work, maybe some things that don’t look so good etc, there are several similar type of things near us, all different in character, you could learn something from all of them. Then speak to a planning consultant about how to put it together for an application. Money (and time) invested at this point could prevent expensive mistakes later in the process.

 

[George from SJM Planning]

Speak to a Planning Consultant

 

[Nearly]

If your diversification takes off then will 2.5 acres be enough?
Get planning for 2.5 acres of houses with a new farmyard and aim for a diversified part of the new development.

 

[Kidds]

Sell it for housing and move on.
Lots of money and opportunities and much less stress

 

[Muttsnutts]

Speak to a Planning Consultant

Forgive my ignorance, what generally would a planning consultant advise ?

Would the advise be purely on the planning permission side usage and classification, or the deliverability/finnancial aspect of the build as well ?

 

[puppet]

To give professional advice get a planning agent.
Is there a demand for shops/businesses? Plenty lying empty in some towns and you will always have hassle. Just take the money and move on. Not much money in a play area

 

[br jones]

Forgive my ignorance, what generally would a planning consultant advise ?

Would the advise be purely on the planning permission side usage and classification, or the deliverability/finnancial aspect of the build as well ?

they will tell you what you could get and what you cant ,i wouldnt go near shops etc awful lot of bankruptcys just now with ;
landlords owe millions in rent .

 

[chaffcutter]

Assuming the economy ever gets back to being ‘normal’ there is/will be plenty of scope to make something like this into a ‘destination ‘ place, combining shops, play area , cafe, restaurants etc

Bit quiet short term but plenty of scope in future imo

 

[Muttsnutts]

Go and have a look around some similar type of developments to get some perspective on how things work, maybe some things that don’t look so good etc, there are several similar type of things near us, all different in character, you could learn something from all of them. Then speak to a planning consultant about how to put it together for an application. Money (and time) invested at this point could prevent expensive mistakes later in the process.

Thanks for the advise, i know your prob no where near us but do they have any websites, or a name so I can have a look on google etc....

 

[Muttsnutts]

Assuming the economy ever gets back to being ‘normal’ there is/will be plenty of scope to make something like this into a ‘destination ‘ place, combining shops, play area , cafe, restaurants etc

Bit quiet short term but plenty of scope in future imo

That’s my thoughts as well, it will be a long term project but just getting some ideas on how to approach.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Where are you based?

have you deep pockets, ‘just getting planning on 2.5 acres no problem’ will cost you 250k I bet.

either get a developer on board and let them take out an option / promotion agreement and develop it or get a planning consultant to have a look and give you an appraisal.

given you initial post I think you will be better of to let someone else do this from the start, with out wishing to belittle you, planning is a very complex and expensive game and you sound rather naive to the complications that await you.

if it’s this ripe, you would have had every man And his dog knocking on your door by now. Is it in the development plan? Look on the council website and see where the ‘village’ boundary lies, it’s it’s outside then forward plan for 15 years time....

 

[Muttsnutts]

Where are you based?

have you deep pockets, ‘just getting planning on 2.5 acres no problem’ will cost you 250k I bet.

either get a developer on board and let them take out an option / promotion agreement and develop it or get a planning consultant to have a look and give you an appraisal.

given you initial post I think you will be better of to let someone else do this from the start, with out wishing to belittle you, planning is a very complex and expensive game and you sound rather naive to the complications that await you.

if it’s this ripe, you would have had every man And his dog knocking on your door by now. Is it in the development plan? Look on the council website and see where the ‘village’ boundary lies, it’s it’s outside then forward plan for 15 years time....

Thanks for you advise and all noted, just jetting our ducks in a row so to speak, as they say forewarned is forearmed.

 

[Muttsnutts]

Does anyone know of any free to use design software to get some ideas onto to paper to view what the site may look like.....and play around with area/layout.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Does anyone know of any free to use design software to get some ideas onto to paper to view what the site may look like.....and play around with area/layout.

this is chicken egg. You seem to be confident you know what’s needed there or what will work best.

unless you have experience in this I honestly wouldn’t waste too much time until you get some local advice. What may look like a perfect Idea to you may not be viewed the same by the planners!

 

[George from SJM Planning]

Forgive my ignorance, what generally would a planning consultant advise ?

Would the advise be purely on the planning permission side usage and classification, or the deliverability/finnancial aspect of the build as well ?

As a Planning Consultancy we would prepare a range of options available and the likelihood of planning being obtained and the likely associated costs (not only from a planning point of view but the other surveys and reports necessary).
Clients then usually assess these with their land agent/accountant/solicitor/business advisor to work out what has the best profitability.
It can sometimes seem like we have to work with one hand tied behind our backs when people have already taken advice (and made a decision) on the route they want to take when that route might be the hardest and most expensive to obtain consent.

 

[chaffcutter]

Curboroughcountrysidecentre.com; heartofthecountryvillage.com. are either side of Lichfield and are very different.

@Muttsnutts have a look at these.

 

[designanddetail]

If you have good road access then a commercial unit development would certainly be worth looking at, units of all sizes are flying at the moment. I see a lot of 90-100% pre-let and sold units while the cladding is still going on.