INFILL PLOTS

Get the lowdown on what infill plots are, how to find one and the potential benefits and challenges of self-building a home on one

MARK STEVENSON Has worked in construction for 30 years and following a long career in housebuilding he was managing director of Potton, designers and manufacturers of bespoke self-build homes.

Try and imagine strolling through a bustling village featuring streets lined with houses and gardens. At first glance, it appears every inch of space is occupied, but a closer look reveals a different story. Nestled between these buildings lie small parcels of unused land — perhaps a disused garage between two gardens or an overgrown garden adjacent to a house. Such spaces, often overlooked, are ripe with potential for self-builders.

WHAT IS AN INFILL PLOT?

In planning terms, turning unused or vacant pieces of land in developed areas into something useful is called infill development. These plots can be a bit awkward — they might be an odd shape or unusually small. But with some clever design, self-builders can turn them into great places to live.

Infill plots come in all shapes and sizes from garden plots to large driveways and vacant parcels of land to the side of homes. Prospects might be land with redundant garages or outbuildings that can be replaced with a house. Infills could be a large side garden, an outbuilding between two houses, or maybe an access way. Rural councils often define infill plots as “the infilling of a small gap within an otherwise built-up area”.

BENEFITS FOR SELF-BUILDERS?

Infill developments are usually thought of as sites in established settlements — such as villages and towns. From a planning perspective they present less risk than a greenfield plot. There will be site constraints to deal with, but provided your proposal doesn’t cause harm or a loss of amenity to its neighbours, the chances of securing planning consent is usually high – even in locations like conservation areas – provided your plans are deemed an improvement to the area overall.

In general terms the planners consider infill plots as less disruptive and preferable to less sustainable sites. This is why some local councils are okay with infill projects even in small hamlets within open countryside, as they don’t lead to urban sprawl.

Unlike undeveloped greenfield sites or brownfield land that might need a lot of work to make them worthy of development, infill plots are usually already set up with essential services such as water, electricity, internet as well as access to the main highway. This means they’re not as costly for self-builders to develop.