Greenfield land and housing developments

Many people would list owning a house of their own as a one of their life goals, and a good way of making sure that the dream isn’t spoilt by unforeseen legalities and other issues, is by contacting a Healys Brighton solicitor.

House purchase can make individuals very happy, so long as the path to home ownership has been a relatively smooth one. Moving into a house which has caused you nothing but financial problems and emotional stress from the get-go can make it difficult to love the home you were once so excited to be buying.

Another factor which could taint some people’s happiness as they open the door to their new home, could be that their house has come at the cost of the British countryside.

In May 2013, Planning Minister Nick Boles stated that the planning laws stopping houses from being built on greenfield land was going to result in only wealthy people being able to buy homes.

Despite rural campaigners being worried that developments could see the countryside turned into housing estates, Mr Boles said that using the land available to create housing was the only way of keeping the services we have all grown used to, such as hospitals and shops.

Speaking about his Grantham constituency – in which greenfield land had been allocated for a 7,000 housing development – he argued that these services could only be protected “if the population of the town grows”.

Furthermore, he explained, “The sum of human happiness that is created by the houses that are being built is vastly greater than the economic, social and environmental value of a field that was growing wheat or rape.”

However, as well as the controversial aspects of the minister’s planned changes to regulations, he also stated that he wanted to make it easier for agricultural barns and high street shops to be converted into residential housing.

Furthermore, he wanted to make developers build homes quicker on land for which they had gained planning permission, and stop them from constructing “soulless, identikit rabbit hutches”.

Contacting a solicitor for house purchase

If you have found your ideal house and want legal help to assure yourself that you are not making an expensive mistake, contact Healys residential conveyancing solicitors.

We could help you navigate the legalities of purchasing a house, from making sure that the individual selling the home really is the current owner, to checking that the greenfield land nearby has not been earmarked for a development you would not be happy with.

You can contact either our London or Brighton solicitors for house purchase via phone, email, or by filling in an online enquiry form. We look forward to hearing from you.