Land Charges

Purchasing any property can be both a very exciting and stressful experience.

If you have followed good practice and your Solicitor has made all of the relevant search enquires, combined with a new home warranty,  Building Control Completion Certificate and all planning conditions have been implemented, the purchase of a new home should be relatively straight forward.

If purchasing a new home particularly on a large to medium site, you may need to consider the following:

• There will be open land allocated on larger scale development site for recreational and amenity use for the community as a whole. It is therefore worth checking/considering if there is such an area near to the dwelling you are purchasing to consider if you feel this as a positive or negative factor – the developer will be able to advise you on this. Any approved details can normally be found on the Council’s website under the relevant planning application number.
• All new housing schemes will be designed to ensure they do not flood or create problems for adjoining land owners. The approach taken to avoid flooding problems is to install what is known as “SUDS” (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems). This will involve the installation of water ways (known as Swales) and retention ponds. In effect these measures will be incorporated into any new landscaping scheme for the development to provide a natural and longer term approach to flooding issues. The Planning Authority is keen to maintain a natural landscape approach to such open waterways and avoid unnecessary flooding where possible. If you do have concerns relating to ponds/streams in the proximity of a house you are looking to purchase you will need to make your own decision as to whether this is appropriate for your particular household.
• Due to the need to maintain SUDS/landscape areas/play areas and non adopted public areas, a management company will have been required to be put in place by the developer as part of the planning permission. It will entail homeowners entering into an agreement to pay service charges for the upkeep of such areas. This will be an ongoing charge which is for the benefit of everyone living within the new development . As the Planning Authority we cannot intervene. If issues do arise in the future it is an area which, if any disputes on issues of maintenance, quality of work and so on occur will be a civil matter between residents and the management company.
• Should the property abut or be located in the Ashdown Forest you must be aware this is a Special Area of Conservation included in the Register of European Sites on 14th June 2005 therefore, the Conservation (Natural Habitats etc.) Regulations 1994 (as amended) will apply should the property be located within or abut by 400 metres.
• This also applies to Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified under Section 23 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949  and a Special Protection Area for the Conservation of Wild Birds.