Fundamental reasons to own UK land
Over the last 50 years towns and villages have continued to grow and expand their boundaries. We consider the government’s housing targets and the growth of the UK population are fundamental reasons why UK land will be in greater demand in future years. Many towns and villages have undeveloped land amongst or adjacent to their existing housing and this is the type of land that Quadra sources as land suitable for individual ownership, where the argument and potential for rezoning exist.

"Between 2001 and 2004 over 37,436 acres of land in England was changed to residential use of which 31% was from Agricultural land."

Source: www.communities.gov.uk

Potential land value
If UK land is re-designated for future housing the returns can be exceptional, the percentage increase may vary between plots and locations. The underlying value of land in the UK is around a third of the property price, this is better explained with a hypothetical example. If a plot was purchased for £15,000 and later received permission to build a property worth £300,000 the value of the plot would be around £100,000.

Considerations
The freehold land you own is a tangible asset for which you will be the registered owner. It cannot disappear overnight. The land may have the potential for rezoning, but this cannot be guaranteed. The process of land development by government and local authorities can take a number of years and change does not take place overnight, in which case the land would not experience the dramatic increase in value we have described.

The right choice
You will need to decide on the factors that are important to you, this will be influenced by your individual circumstances and future objectives for your assets. The ownership of land without planning permission be it greenfield, greenbelt or brownfield  should be treated as a longer term purchase and should be viewed as an alternative asset, we would like our clients to feel that freehold land is a positive addition to their portfolio.