When you’re looking at a site, remember: not everything shows up on the title plan or in the legal pack. Here’s a handy Site Health Check tick list of things to look out for that might trip you up later:
- Concrete marker posts: for gas, water and BT (they often blend into the scenery)
- Manholes: easy to miss and sometimes awkwardly placed
- Ecological considerations: badger setts, bats, dormice, great crested newts (all protected species)
- Tree Protection Orders (TPOs): one protected oak tree could change your whole layout
- Historic infrastructure: Roman roads, WW2 pillar boxes, old railway lines – whilst fascinating, they can restrict development
- Proximity to land with AONB or SSSI designations: beautiful, but highly protected
- Old fencing, ditches or boundary quirks: they may not always match up with your red line boundary
- Drainage ditches and culverts: often hidden, and not always harmless
- Access tracks or informal rights of way: especially those well-trodden ones
- Overhead or underground services: and any third party access rights that go with them
Legal documents rarely show you the full picture. That’s why we always recommend an early site walkover – prepare yourself for any surprises.
Do you have a site you’re not 100% sure about? If so, get in touch with the BTS team. We can carry out a free of charge due diligence check to avoid any costly mistakes further down the line.
