Planners issue land sale warning

Planning officers in mid-Suffolk have warned people to be wary of companies offering land without planning consent for sale as a development opportunity.

Planners are concerned about a land sale scheme operating in the Thorndon area, near Eye.

Mid Suffolk District Council said firms operating these schemes seek investors to buy plots of land, often greenfield, in areas without planning permission.

Planners warned the Thorndon scheme has no hope of winning permission.

A council spokeswoman said: "The operators of these schemes promote the plots as part of future housing development.

'Huge gains offered'

"This scheme at Thorndon requests an initial £500 deposit per plot.

"The council is aware that land sale firms offer huge gains to entice investors, on the premise that the plots of agricultural land they sell will gain planning permission for housing development at some time in the future."

This would cause the agricultural land to soar in value.

She added: "In the site at Thorndon, planning officers at Mid Suffolk are concerned that people are being drawn into a deal that has little or no chance of planning permission being obtained."

The scheme advertises a site plan which implies that the 11 hectare site will deliver 300 houses.

The site is in a countryside location, 0.5 km from Thorndon which is classified as a secondary village in Mid Suffolk's Core Strategy.