Buying a property large plot to build poss stream

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My son has had an offer accepted on a semi detached property that hasa large side plot if land attached.

The old lady who' selling wasn't interested in splitting the property she just wanted shut as she's very poorly and now in a rest home.

Thecold lady bought the property from new when in was built in the early 70s. The large side plot came with the property and did have outline planning for a bungalow up to 3 bedrooms (1996) but it ran out. The old lady applied for a 2 bed bungalow in her old age but never did.

The property has never been registered so my sons currently waiting on the vendor to forward the paperwork and the deeds so his solicitors can go over the boundaries and who owns who. Once this is done the relevant searches will be done.

But, by chance I got talking the old ladies cousin so I asked a question that has been bugging my son,

"Why has no one made an offer for the land or more importantly, why didn't the original company who built the property all the years ago build on it.
The cousin said:-

"I use to go over as a child and play in the large garden"
She then said
"The area was originally a farmers field bought by a builder and I think there use to be a stream on it. Because it was the last plot the builder never bothered building.

Then some 8-10 years later bungalows appeared to the right of the large plot,
Then the cousin said,
"They must have sorted the stream for them to build bungalows".
That I'm not so sure ,
But these bungalows they were built some 10 years later were built to the right of the plot as though they ended, didn't build on the large fadden plot, new builders turn up years later and start of again but leaving the large plot alone, strange to me

This has sent alarms bells ringing regarding a stream.
Could it be nothing or is there something like and underground stream flowing through the property.

My son has paid premium for the property and the potential of the land reflects in the properties price.
Who or which would be the best way to find out if anything bout waters that could potentially any future build taking place on the large plot.
My wife and I have been thinking of buying the land from my son and building a small retirement bungalow but first, we first and formost don't want my son buying a pigs ear.
If you know the best course of action please let me know and how to find out if the plot can be physically built on while we're are going through with the purchase
Thank you all
Very much
 
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How about a simple WWW search for "old maps" of the area?? Fast cheap cheerful, mots of all Informative.

Also the local names sometimes give a clue? For example i had a Subsidence claim, the street name was "Quarry Close" and yes, there had been a Quarry there infilled poorly some 150 years before?

Ken.
 
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I can't find a sort of catalogue where could could zoom into the district you want.

can you?

map finder doesn't work for me.
 
Any watercourse should be on the property deeds or adjacent land deeds due to the onerous riparian responsibilities. They should also show up in the standard conveyance searches.

Wet ground unsuitable for building on would require a specific survey.
 
A very small watercourse such as a field ditch is not going to appear on any old OS maps. Probably the only way you will know for sure is to get a geotechnical survey with a couple of trial pits.

I remember many years ago I did some plans for client with a relatively new build house that had been built in a gap between houses on a 1970's estate.. There was a tiny stream, more of a ditch that ran along the side boundary and I did flag that up and advised him to check the existing foundations for the house. Turns out the house was piled because there was soft silt going down over 2 metres whilst the 1970's houses either side were on good solid ground. That's obviously why the developers left the gap back in the 1970's.

Having said that I would not advocate that poor ground conditions would rule out building on the plot. With the price of houses these days it is usually still economical to utilise complicated foundation designs to overcome problems in the ground.
 
A very small watercourse such as a field ditch is not going to appear on any old OS maps. Probably the only way you will know for sure is to get a geotechnical survey with a couple of trial pits.

I remember many years ago I did some plans for client with a relatively new build house that had been built in a gap between houses on a 1970's estate.. There was a tiny stream, more of a ditch that ran along the side boundary and I did flag that up and advised him to check the existing foundations for the house. Turns out the house was piled because there was soft silt going down over 2 metres whilst the 1970's houses either side were on good solid ground. That's obviously why the developers left the gap back in the 1970's.

Having said that I would not advocate that poor ground conditions would rule out building on the plot. With the price of houses these days it is usually still economical to utilise complicated foundation designs to overcome problems in the ground.

Thanks for the reply, your dealings sound identical to my sons dilemma. So do you think the deeds will show any up any historical streams or such ?. My son is still waiting on the other sides Solicitors sending over copies of the original deeds.

I am going to pay a visit and knock on the guys door who lives in the bungalow in the hope he might know something about a historical stream of some sort.

They built new houses directly at the back of the plot I'd say in the late 80's-90's. The more I think of it any stream would need a point of entry and exit as the plot now has the property that owns the land a bungalow to the right of the plot and a newish build directly at the back of the plot.
Just out of curiosity, how much does a Geotechincal Survey cost and would they be able find out if there are any streams on the plot ?
 
The deeds might show something but bearing in mind most title plans are just an extract from the OS map probably not unless it was a fairly substantial stream. If that was the case surely you would notice some evidence of the stream such as where it has been diverted to or whether it has been culverted.

Around here you can get a very basic geotechnical survey with 1 trial hole for around £500 going up to £1000 - £1500 for a more detailed survey of the plot with 2 or 3 trial holes.
 
Thanks again, the land slopes to the rear but is heavily overgrown with bushes and trees to the fences.
We have only been there twice viewing at the time of sale so I am going to have to ask to investigate some more. I never looked deep to the back because at the time of viewing we knew nothing of any stream so we only walked out onto the plot for a nosey.

I think the only way my son is going to get clarity is when he gets further down he pays for a geotechinal survey as you mentioned.

It might be money we'll spent bare in mind the importancy the land plays in the purchase and the rumour of a stream
 
If the plot is overgrown bear in mind that the geo survey will need to get equipment on to the site, either a small digger or a small drilling rig. You want the trial hole where the house will be not tucked away in the corner because that was the only clear space for them to dig.
 
That link by xm77 above works for my lappy,

I cannot seem to copy the general link to this site for some reason???

I think this is Lancashire ?

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/find/marker...&z=1&marker=53.6577,-2.6367&from=1550&to=1970

using that link, I can get to some 25-inch to the mile maps, showing individual houses and outbuildings (local maps appear on the RHS of the page) so there might be a large-scale map detailed enough. I wonder if they was drawn by a property surveyor, or for Rates?
 
As a follow up for anyone wondering, the matters in the hands of the sellers Solicitors and LR.
The lady selling claims she owns the land and there was mention that she purchased the extra garden a few years later.
We're still waiting on news due to the huge backlog at LR.
The problem I think we might face when it's sorted is, if she gains Possessory or Absolute ownership.
We are hoping that LR manage to re-address the dividing line and LR register it all under one roof and the property is registered as absolute but right now it's all guesswork
 
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