Project: Apedale

Lands Improvement submitted the application for outline planning permission in 2013 and secured consent for up to 350 dwellings on 12 December 2014. In addition to the dwellings permitted, approval was also granted for strategic public open space and play, a SuDS basin, an ecological enhancement area and vehicular access arrangements.

Due to challenging delivery elements and constraints, namely the steep topography on site and unforgiving local market conditions at the time, Lands Improvement was unable to dispose of any of the land parcels, although we came close on several occasions. The consent expired in December 2017.

Although the consent expired, Lands Improvement invested considerable sums on completing extensive ground surveys and investigations, provided new ecological enhancement landscape areas and great crested newt mitigation ponds and has also discharged many of the previous, detailed, planning conditions.

This early work improved the marketability of the site, which has led to Lands Improvement successfully contracting with Gleeson Developments in 2021 on a subject-to-planning land-sale deal and both companies have now submitted a new joint application for outline planning permission and are hoping for a successful conclusion later this year.