Planning expert Paul Addison joins the latest Today’s Conveyancer podcast to discuss his experiences helping conveyancers and homeowners uncover planning risk and hidden development opportunities.
Founder and Managing Director of DevAssist, Paul shares his background as a land buyer and planner for developers and how he now brings his extensive experience to the business to educate conveyancers and home movers on potential, and planned, development in the area; enabling would be purchasers to make a more informed decision about whether to press ahead with their transaction.
The discussion is full of anecdotes and examples of Paul’s work; from ransom strips in cul-de-sacs, to beachfront views at risk of blight by new build flats.
As Paul says, you cannot guarantee a view… and often this is point where firms are at risk of claims, particularly when a property purchaser finds out that about a development that might blight a view, access or enjoyment of the property.
“That’s when people will become very emotional post-purchase and start looking to the solicitor and saying why didn’t you tell me about this.”
And with plenty of examples of successful claims it’s hard to argue against the point.
Despite the recent scrapping of government new build targets there is an acknowledgement that we simply do not build enough homes and that the issues around planning, NIMBY-ism, greenbelt development and the associated risk to would-be home movers is not likely to go away.
Paul suggests 80-90% of DevAssist reports identify a planning opportunity, whether hypothetical or real, of some description; with around 30% of reports identifying a guaranteed development site within 75m of the purchaser’s property.
Whether or not the development impacts the decision to purchase the property is not the point, says Paul. The point is they have the interpretation of the data to make an informed decision.
The Today’s Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.
