Understanding the Politics Behind Land Investment
As with buy-to-let property, investment land for sale should be seen as a long-term investment.
Investors should also not expect to be popular with the local NIMBYS who are more concerned with the property gains their houses are making rather than considering the housing needs of their local area.
There is often also a political dimension for the larger land for sale developers. For example:
case.org.uk press release
"Hundreds of direct-action environmental protesters have bought shares in Persimmon Homes, one of Britain’s biggest property developers, in an attempt to stop it building on green belt land for sale.
Persimmon Homes, Britain’s third-largest house builder, has been targeted by a militant underground group furious with its plans to build 10,000 homes on green belt land for sale west of Stevenage in Hertfordshire."
Guildford Conservatives
"Guildford Conservatives have reacted angrily to the news that it is almost certain that Guildford will be required to take up to an additional 5,000 homes as part of the additional housing allocation that Surrey is being forced to accept by the government.
These additional houses will gouge into the greenbelt, which the Conservatives have so vigorously defended."
Friends of the Earth
"An axe hangs over South East countryside.
Over 140,000 new homes would have to be built on Green Belt, other land designated for wildlife, landscape or recreation, or in areas completely inaccessible by public transport, if John Prescott accepts proposals by his Planning Inspectors for housing in the South East.
Counties needing to build tens of thousands of homes on Green Belt investment land, on other designated land or in places well away from public transport are:
- Bedfordshire: 21,930 homes
- Hertfordshire: 37, 685 homes
- Hampshire: 40,000 homes
- Surrey: 37,675 homes
Editor speaks out over public enquiry
"The Telegraph and Argus is supporting Bradford residents in their bid to save green belt land from housing developers.
The feud is concerning the council's Unitary Development Plan, which was passed three years ago.
It designated certain strips of land for housing, shopping and industry, as well as reserving a green belt of land. Developers now want this green belt for further housing."
College gets go-ahead to "rape green belt"
"Campaigners battling to stop Oaklands College developing on greenbelt land at Smallford have been dealt a bitter blow.
Councillors. who were told by the Government the plan did not breach green belt policy, decided on Thursday they had little option but to approve the controversial scheme."
Plan for green belt building "criminal"
"Bromley Common residents told a public inquiry into controversial plans for a new secondary school, building on green belt land would be "criminal".
The former Blue Circle sports ground, one of two sites put forward by Bromley Council, would accommodate the school and 300 houses."
Peter Lilley, MP
"MP condemns speculative development of greenbelt investment land.
Peter Lilley, MP for Hitchin and Harpenden, has tabled an Early Day Motion condemning speculative development of greenbelt land in Hertfordshire."
