Several years ago we at CPRE Hertfordshire learned about what we call "plotlands". These are created by the land owner and are plots of land that are about 1/6th of an acre, enough on which to build at least one house.

Green Plots to Plots of Gold - Part 2

Somewhere over the rainbow

There is supposed to be a crock of gold at the end of a rainbow, I recall. Not that I have ever found such an end. And the chance of my finding one is probably only slightly more unlikely than is the chance of making a fortune out of a plot of land that you see advertised in a local newspaper.

Such an advertisement appeared just before Christmas. The plots of land were close to Much Hadham, a lovely village in East Hertfordshire.

It is when the owner of agricultural land gets planning permission for houses that the value or price of the land rockets. However, as I noted before about similar plots of land for sale on the other side of the county near Little Gaddesden, not all land is designated for development.

East Hertfordshire District Council’s Strategic Local Plan is set in concrete, for the next 15 years. The major focus of development according to that Plan is at the south of the District, around Eastwick and Gilston, north of Harlow.

Much Hadham is not in the Green Belt. Land there has the EHDC designation "beyond the Green Belt" and the Council is very careful about protection of the landscape and the small village communities in that part of the world.

No one can know the future, especially not in the detail needed to know when a particular plot of land will go for development. So, if you are thinking of splashing the cash just because a sign says it is it up for auction, tread carefully. Do your research. Talk to East Herts DC’s Planning Department.

If you live in or near Much Hadham and have concerns about land being up for sale, please contact the District Council’s Planning Department. There are actions that they can take that can make life harder for anyone who is being less than fully open about the reasons for selling land.