Find us a plot in Northamptonshire

"Hey guys, I’ve seen these two plots and they really look good. Probably a bit far out for me but they may interest one of you.” So wrote Antoinette Hookway in a roundrobin email that she sent to everybody who’d attended a weekend course last October that I’d spoken at. The plots were indeed interesting and I determined that in this Plotfinder Challenge Special, I’d have a look at them — especially as up to now Northamptonshire has been a virtual desert for self-build plots.

THE PLOT WE LOOKED AT IN DETAIL (MAIN IMAGE)
16 Mill Lane, Islip, Kettering, Northants

A 1960s bungalow that has obviously been unoccupied for some time, and which never really did justice to this location, occupies the land. The estate agent’s details picture the property in high summer but they obviously decided to await the outcome of a planning application, which granted consent for two detached dwellings. Mill Lane is a narrow lane on the north-eastern side of this lovely village with its traditional limestone houses. The lane leads down to the river and the old mill and forms the boundary of the village with open countryside and magnificent views beyond.

To the north and east there is open countryside and fields. To the south there is garden or paddock land. To the west there is a terrace of three modern cottages built in local stone and brick. Twenty-five of the houses within the village are listed and there are local shops and pubs. The village adjoins the larger town of Thrapston, divided from it by the river Nene.

There is no price and the agents are simply asking for offers by private treaty. A conversation with them, however, elicited the fact that they were thinking in terms of £200,000 per plot.

THE OTHER PLOTS

Plot adj 6 High Street, Pytchley, Kettering — offers (above, left)
The only real drawback with this plot was the company it kept on the day, because it’s a good one. I winkled a price out of the agent at around £150,000. The four bedroom house would cost around £150,000 to build so that’s a total of £300,000 to set against a value of £375,000.

Building plot at Hardwick, Northants — offers (above, right)
A cracking plot. The village doesn’t have any pubs or shops but it is somewhere where the well-off want to live. The agents reckoned £250,000 for the plot but they’ll get more. A barn conversion at the rear has sold for just under £1m. A house on here could be worth at least £750,000.

THE PLANNING STORY

• Outline permission
• Brownfield site
• Consent for two new dwellings

There doesn’t seem to have been a long planning history on this plot. From the photographs in the estate agent’s details it would appear that the property became empty in the summer and they made an application for Outline approval on 18th October 2007. This application was passed and an approval issued in December 2007. Although the application was in Outline form an indicative plan was submitted suggesting the development of two detached dwellings, each having their own separate access to Mill Lane. No Environmental Impact Assessment was required or submitted with the application and it was approved under delegated powers.

The Design and Access Statement made great play of the fact that this was a ‘brownfield’ site and that the nearest properties were of a local character. It then went on, quite rightly, to denigrate the existing bungalow and to stress that any replacement dwelling would be designed within the local vernacular. Reference was also made to the fact that when the original bungalow was given consent, a successful application was also made relating to two dwellings. Significantly the Design and Access Statement also makes great play of the elevated position of the site, probably to prepare the way for the finished floor levels being higher. In turn, the consent requires details of the slab levels and limits the site to two storeys only.

It seems that the applicants have been pushing at an open door and were in fact easily able to prove that the proposals concurred with local and national planning policies.

GROUND CONDITIONS

• No significant issues

The field opposite had recently been cultivated, exposing the fact the soil is light and sandy. The exposed soil within the site is totally different and I concluded that this had probably been imported. I would not expect any adverse ground conditions as the area is well known for its extraction of gravel, as evidenced by the lakes within its views.

The planning permission requires that anybody building should develop a scheme for the parking of contractors’ vehicles and plant, and there is unlikely to be sufficient space on site for the storage or retention of spoil.

THE SITE'S CHARACTERISTICS

• Sloping
• Possible flood risks
• Services available

The Design and Access Statement refers to the site being elevated. I don’t think it is and am assuming this statement was made to prepare the ground for raised oversites. The site does indeed follow the levels of the road from west to east, falling by around two metres. From the road frontage to the rear, the site rises by about 600mm. The terrace of cottages to the west have a finished floor level about 600mm higher than the highest point of their and this land. Perhaps this is because of concerns about flooding or perhaps it is just because it is a characteristic of the area. I very much doubt that floods could get as high as this village, although I have no doubt that, from time to time, the lower and, with the exception of the mill, uninhabited end of Mill Lane does suffer.

The boundaries are hedged. There is a slight dip in the eastern most corner of the land with a cherry tree growing beside it. This may have been an ornamental pond. There are no other significant trees on site apart from a few silver birches.

The land has a total frontage to the lane of some 61 metres and an average depth of around 22 metres. Mains sewage is available in the lane and all other mains services are connected to the bungalow.

POTENTIAL VALUES

• End Value: £500,000
• Build Cost: £200,000
• Land Cost: £200,000

Each house will be around 220m2 plus garages and each plot would have a frontage of around 30 metres with views over open countryside. To say that they will be sought after is probably an underestimation of their potential. If we assume that anybody building these houses is going to have to employ natural stone with local brick under a pantiled roof to match the local vernacular, then the build costs for each property, including detached garage, must be around £200,000. Added to a land cost of £200,000 that comes to a total of about £400,000 each. Here, the houses would be worth at least £500,000 each.

WHAT TO BUILD

• Traditional-style, local brick houses

The Design and Access Statement refers to the local vernacular, but does not describe it in detail. The plan accompanying the planning application shows the houses quite close together to stick closely to the existing footprint of the bungalow. The garages are attached to the front of the houses. I believe that detached garages would be better, thus freeing the ground floor windows to enjoy the view. The local design makes great play of simplicity and symmetry, and so the houses should be rectangular rectory style in shape, built in local brick with stone features under a pantiled roof with all bar sash joinery.

DAVID'S RECOMMENDATION

These are two great plots and for those delegates to the course whose area this falls within, I can only say, “Go for them.” They are too far out for Antoinette but, like all groups before them, they get as much from each other as they do from the lecturers and it’s great to see the email traffic. It was also good to see these beautiful plots.

WANT TO TAKE PART?

If you’re currently looking for a building plot and would like to spend a day with David, please contact us at 2 Sugar Brook Court, Aston Road, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B60 3EX with a brief summary of who you are, where you are looking for a plot and your budget, along with your picture. Participation in this feature is oversubscribed but you’ll have a better chance of being selected the more flexible your brief to David is. Unfortunately we cannot respond to all correspondence. Meanwhile, check out our Plotfinder.net website for the latest opportunities in your area.