HUNTINGDONSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL’S CALL FOR SITES
An opportunity for local landowners to increase value in landholdings
The Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC) Local Plan process is progressing and has now reached the Call for Sites stage, whereby landowners, prospective developers and other interested parties are invited to put forward land to be allocated for development in the Local Plan.
Commenting on the opportunity, David Hutchinson, Land and Planning Director at Leaders Romans Group (LRG) said:
“The ‘call for sites’ stage is the first stage in the strategic planning cycle that enables landowners to begin the process of achieving an allocation for development on their landholdings. If this leads to a site being selected as a ‘preferred option’ the site will be included in the draft Local Plan as an allocated site, paving the way for development. Even if landowners are unsure as to whether they wish for their land to be developed, it will increase significantly in value when allocated, and so to put a site forward at this stage is sensible".
“This point in the plan-making process presents a window of opportunity which may not happen again for a number of years, so it’s worth taking advantage of, regardless of future plans".
“Furthermore, there is a wide range of development models today - through option, promotion agreements or joint ventures. The demand from developers for future development sites is huge and land which is assessed positively is in very high demand. Seeking professional advice from a land agent that specialises in development is important to ensure that landowners do not incur unnecessary costs and to enable them to make an informed decision”.
HDC’s Call for Sites Consultation closes on 7 June. More information can be found here: https://www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/consultations/call-for-sites-consultation.
LRG, a leading UK property consultancy with offices across England and Wales, has extensive experience in advising landowners on the promotion and disposal of development sites. It can also identify suitable development partners who would bear the costs of promotion and provide useful expertise from its planning consultancy Boyer. Landowners looking for advice on land promotion are welcome to contact David Hutchinson in the Midlands office, which covers the Huntingdonshire area (01509 278660 / dhutchinson@lrg.co.uk).