Meeting an architect at the field today, he’s going to find out if we can get planning permission to build a house in our field, when we bought the land we were told we’d never get planning permission but things change so fingers crossed, if we don’t it’s only cost us a grand but if we do then dreams come true.
The rules around Green Belt aren't as tight as everyone seems to think they are.
If their is land with a property on it next door you are in with a slight shout.....if your land is adjoining anything with (I think) seven or more residences you are in with a decent shout.
Worth employing a planning expert in my humble opinion - they are good at backing planing officers into a position not so much as they say yes, more that they can't say no.
I have been looking for a plot down here on and off for years as I too dream of a self build. Last one I bid on I was outbid by £140k by a developer who crammed eight rabbit hitches on a site that had outline permission for one at the time of sale. The problem is that councils have targets for new homes so they are always likely to approve such appalling schemes.
And Planning Committees are a joke - in my experience well meaning non-qualified amateurs who have little understanding of what they are asked to approve. The Senior Planning Officer is the person to lock on to, they know and understand policy, committees don't.