INVESTMENT PLOTS SHOULD THE SALE OF THESE BE BANNED?

[bluebell]

in my village there is a 50 odd acre field down a unmade side road that i noticed the other day on primelocation being marketed into half acre so called investment plots ? so what this has done its lost another big chunk of the rapidly shrinking countryside to a waste land ? people will buy these because on the face of it a half acre at £ 16500 is affordable to many but stands no chance of anysort of planning ? another field was sold this way some years back to people and has become a complete mess, unproductive, and really a con to the investors , what do others think, and is, has this been done in your area?

 

[B R C]

Where is this and what company is marketing it?
I think there maybe some legislation on this now and so would worth looking into. I guess it depends on exactly what they are marketing it as. I know it’s buyer beware but the people selling like this have the lowest morals going, you as a village should take action!

 

[Sid]

There is a block of woodland near here where they are selling off half acre blocks with access rights for personal enjoyment.
But the restrictions are endless, no structures, no this no that.
Parking is beside the public road with half a mile walk to your block. Some people love the fact they can sit in woodland and basically do nothing.
No toilet facilities there either!

 

[traineefarmer]

Of course it shouldn't be banned. Firstly what sort of legislation could be introduced to manage it? What constitutes an "investment plot"? Why is it any worse for a private individual to pay £16k for 1/2acre that me paying £100k for 10acre? Property and land is only the value it is because of it's potential to grow in value not because we have any chance of earning its value back through pure agriculture.

 

[Werzle]

Congratulations and goodluck to any farmer who has the good fortune of selling land for houses. Nothing pays better.

 

[bluebell]

i agree that when you sell anysort of property including farmland you want the best possible price, but looking at it what was a productive field is now being marketed as so called investment plots, with what use or planning future ? their are alot of very naive people who get suckered into buying these plots thinking that a development of some sort will soon take place ? because they are marketed in such a way to give that impression ? many many people who buy these plots soon find out that these plots have no useful purpose, have no infrustructure etc etc , and then become a mess ? with no future agricultural use ?

 

[ISCO]

Fields like this look a mess to us but if Packham et al get their way much of the country will look like this. Rewilding is what they want now.

Good luck to seller if he can find enough gullible folk to buy.

 

[bluebell]

so without any change in the law, this way of dividing up fields into say halfacre parcels became very widespread what the hell do you think the countryside would then rapidly look like ? horsey culture with a vengence ?

 

[bluebell]

owning land, and the way its used has a very big responsiblity and the way its used what happens to it, dosnt just have an affect on the owner, but the whole community, or even the country as a whole?

 

[betternextyear]

This kind of investment land scheme has been going on for decades without the farming world ending.
I remember similar in the 70s featuring on consumer TV shows etc. Any body investing in this scheme would have taken legal advice ,or if they didnt ,deserve to lose their money

 

[bluebell]

your right its being going on for decades, around my area we have alot of plotlands marketed in the 1920s-30s to londoners who could buy a plot just out of london in the countryside, put a caravan or build a dwelling on it ? no services or infrucstructure then ? i grew up with all that history round here but the pace of development and lose of agricultural land is picked up now, their is only a certain amount left ?

 

[GeorgeK]

Could be what is known as a 'Land banking scam.' There is nothing illegal in selling off small parcels of land, so it’s hard to stamp out the practice. The fraud involves exaggerating the hope value of the land, even though there may be no access or prospect of planning permission.
In this article a local council responded with emergency planning restrictions on this sort of land meaning even fences could not be erected, worth a read:

Land owners warned on conservation letters after plots are flipped

A mystery organisation called Country Land Conservation sent letters to owners of fields, woodland and land saying it wanted to buy them to protect wildlife.

www.thisismoney.co.uk

Some on this forum have been contacted by a scam looking to buy land cheap under the pretence of environmental conservation. Once sold the land is split up and sold as plots with 'development potential'

Country Land Conservation Ltd

We fairly regularly get phishing letters from developers, but this is a completely new angle on land purchasing. Maybe it’s not illegal but slightly dubious, based in Ireland and only recently been set up.

thefarmingforum.co.uk

 

[topground]

An entry opportunity for a young farmer willing to take a chance. buy a plot on this site with a water supply connected, preferably close to the entrance then squat the rest. Run livestock on it with the handling facilities on the plot you buy and crack on. This is what has happened on a smaller plot locally. The vendors have made their profit and those purchasing plots on hope value don’t appear to care and won’t want to incur the expense of turfing off the cattle now grazing their land and keeping it in good condition.
Where is it? An old farmer here happy to show the way!

 

[Doing it for the kids]

A decent lawyer will never get one bought for a client, it’s obvious what is happening as it’s been around long enough. Searches will show up enough to dissuade most buyers.

Have one round here, it’s now got its own unique hatching on the local plan saying you can’t even fart in there now