Is planning permission required if plot of land which adjoins road has no access at all?

[SoilHugger]

I saw a nice looking plot but no access whatsoever.

I saw deep tire marks in a picture so I am guessing what vehicles have already accessed have done so from adjoining fields.

I checked with agents and they said indeed there is no access.

So you have to crawl to government and ask for permission?

I had a quick search and the results indicate yes. However I read one other one where it said it could be permitted development but I think that was for residential.

The road would be a small single tracker. No idea if classified or not if that changes matters? Which my cursory reading indicated it may - if unclassified maybe PP not required, if classified yes.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Dude, why can't you just live in a house like everyone else?

 

[suffolksmallholder]

Dude, why can't you just live in a house like everyone else?

There’s nothing like having your very own little piece of land even if you can’t bring yourself to use the phrase; ‘get orf moi….’

 

[Goweresque]

I saw a nice looking plot but no access whatsoever.

I saw deep tire marks in a picture so I am guessing what vehicles have already accessed have done so from adjoining fields.

I checked with agents and they said indeed there is no access.

So you have to crawl to government and ask for permission?

I had a quick search and the results indicate yes. However I read one other one where it said it could be permitted development but I think that was for residential.

The road would be a small single tracker. No idea if classified or not if that changes matters? Which my cursory reading indicated it may - if unclassified maybe PP not required, if classified yes.

Do you mean there is no access road? One assumes there must be a legal right of access to the property, otherwise the vendor is going to be limiting his potential pool of purchasers somewhat.

If you mean the right of access just goes over someone else's field, and there's no hard track, then yes technically you should ask for planning permission to install a new access road. Indeed you'd have to check before you purchased the property that the access right allowed you to install a new road anyway, it might not. If on the other hand there is an existing track that has just become completely grassed over and disappeared over the years, then you would be entitled to restore that to a usable condition without planning. But again, subject to the conditions of the access rights granted by the owner of the field.

 

[betweenthelines]

Is there no access at all-even on foot? Are you looking to create a new vehicle access? Is there a road frontage?

 

[Goweresque]

And don't forget that any access right over 3rd party land will probably be limited to current use only (presumably agricultural). So if by some miracle you got planning for a dwelling of some sort then you'd have to renegotiate the access right to account for the change of use and they'd have you over a barrel.....

 

[SoilHugger]

Do you mean there is no access road? One assumes there must be a legal right of access to the property, otherwise the vendor is going to be limiting his potential pool of purchasers somewhat.

If you mean the right of access just goes over someone else's field, and there's no hard track, then yes technically you should ask for planning permission to install a new access road. Indeed you'd have to check before you purchased the property that the access right allowed you to install a new road anyway, it might not. If on the other hand there is an existing track that has just become completely grassed over and disappeared over the years, then you would be entitled to restore that to a usable condition without planning. But again, subject to the conditions of the access rights granted by the owner of the field.

Is there no access at all-even on foot? Are you looking to create a new vehicle access? Is there a road frontage?

From what the agent replied there is no access at all, just hedged all round.

They just said "no gated access" but "there is a hedge boundary" like that helps .

Nothing discussed in the description about shared access and I am sure the agent would have mentioned if there were in their reply.

They did not fail to mention they have other interested parties in their reply!

 

[Goweresque]

From what the agent replied there is no access at all, just hedged all round.

They just said "no gated access" but "there is a hedge boundary" like that helps .

Nothing discussed in the description about shared access and I am sure the agent would have mentioned if there were in their reply.

They did not fail to mention they have other interested parties in their reply!

So the vendor is selling a field in the middle of nowhere, with no road frontage and no access rights to the public highway over his or other 3rd party land?

 

[SoilHugger]

So the vendor is selling a field in the middle of nowhere, with no road frontage and no access rights to the public highway over his or other 3rd party land?

No. There is plenty of road frontage, two sides of the field in fact, but no gates.

I am guessing the owner owns the adjoining fields as there must be some vehicular access since, as mentioned, there are clear track marks in the field. It seems they just don't want to share .

I have conversely also seen one or two plots with all the criteria you stated above. One ancient piece of woodland I recall was 'land locked' on all four sides yet it still seemed to be sold within a month or two of me seeing it advertised.

 

[Fendt516profi]

So you may find a old gate covering a gap in the overgrown hedge on the road side

 

[flowerpot]

I thought that no one could sell land without a right of access.

Although its a good point about what exactly the "access" means, i.e. agricultural only or for access to a building.

Someone sold a paddock near us and had to apply for planning permission for a gateway off the road before it was put up for sale. In the end the adjacent house bought it, so they didn't need the access, but having it is always useful.

 

[SoilHugger]

I thought that no one could sell land without a right of access.

Although its a good point about what exactly the "access" means, i.e. agricultural only or for access to a building.

Someone sold a paddock near us and had to apply for planning permission for a gateway off the road before it was put up for sale. In the end the adjacent house bought it, so they didn't need the access, but having it is always useful.

If it is for 'amenity' can't they just say they can hop the fence?

 

[GeorgeK]

I'm amazed the seller hasn't put a gate in for road access if it were possible because no access knocks a chunk off the land's value. Yes, technically you need PP for new access onto a public highway, have they already tried and been refused perhaps?

 

[SoilHugger]

Just looking at the images the hedgerow seems rather low in places - maybe only a couple of feet and just some scrubland before I presume it opens up to the field proper - not been yet to get a proper idea. Could I just 'ram' through and create a path without any gate?

Would the hedgerow belong to me and so I could do what I wanted with it or it is protected by some laws? As I said it is so small at one part I can see it is hardly there. I wonder if that is some historical entrance. Have to see it on the ground to see what's what.

At worst do it anyway and make a 'fake' hedge to place back after entering/exiting?

 

[deleted user 837354]

There’s nothing like having your very own little piece of land even if you can’t bring yourself to use the phrase; ‘get orf moi….’

You mean buy a plot of land and then attempt to subvert planning laws. I mean for fudgesake. Another day another thread about living in a caravan on some plot of land and working out ways to avoid being hauled through a legal process by the council.

I mean you could get a job on a farm where the farmer gave you a place to live in?

 

[Nearly]

You don't need planning to put a gate into a class c road.
Check previous applications online.
@George from SJM Planning

 

[SoilHugger]

You don't need planning to put a gate into a class c road.
Check previous applications online.
@George from SJM Planning

I was reading today and it seemed to say the exact opposite - that you do for class A, B and C, only unclassified ones are exempt.

 

[Lamb's Orchard]

Even unclassified roads are not necessarily exempt. Previous owner of my orchard attempted to create a new direct access onto the (unclassified) lane, Council bods were out within a couple of hours, slapped an enforcement notice on it and told him to reinstate the hedge.

 

[suffolksmallholder]

You mean buy a plot of land and then attempt to subvert planning laws. I mean for fudgesake. Another day another thread about living in a caravan on some plot of land and working out ways to avoid being hauled through a legal process by the council.

I mean you could get a job on a farm where the farmer gave you a place to live in?

No, just a field to go and camp in. What’s wrong with that?
I own three paddocks and I camp in one tiny part, this is our camping area and as I couldn’t cope with a yurt I am going to put my 40 year old tipi up for the first time in ten years so son No2 can stay when he visits from Oz.
We now have reptiles, wild flowers, native fruit trees and local wild-life in this area. Fab!
I can understand peoples horror if one moved on as the unmentionables do but to be able park and camp is not permanent is it?
Anyway who in their right mind wants to live in a farm bungalow? FFS they’re from the stone-age, cold, particularly nasty and only come with a job
SS

 

[suffolksmallholder]

From what the agent replied there is no access at all, just hedged all round.

They just said "no gated access" but "there is a hedge boundary" like that helps .

Nothing discussed in the description about shared access and I am sure the agent would have mentioned if there were in their reply.

They did not fail to mention they have other interested parties in their reply!

Ring the local planning dept and ask!
That’s so easy.
I know that their default answer is No but there is no harm or loss of life if you ask, followed up with an email, is there
SS