Planning Permission and Strategy in Neath
Land to Homes runs the planning process for residential sites in Neath, from a first look at policy to a decision notice. We build the consultant team, commission the surveys, talk to the council and the community, and prepare the application. Where we promote land, we fund the planning work, and those costs are recovered from the sale proceeds only if the land sells with planning.
Neath · SA11Free site appraisal
Tell us about your land and we will call you back. No cost, no obligation.
Prefer to talk? Call 0800 088 6248.
- Free site appraisalNo cost, no obligation
- Legal fees coveredReasonable fees, on options and promotion
- Nothing to pay upfrontOn promotion: we fund planning
- Direct purchaseSuitable sites, with or without planning
- UK-wideEngland, Wales, Scotland and NI
Our work around Neath
About 7 miles north-east of Swansea, Neath is part of our West Glamorgan coverage, centred on postcode district SA11. The nearest other places we cover are Briton Ferry (2 miles), Swansea (7 miles) and Maesteg (7 miles).
Projects we can take on around Neath include land with an expired or ageing consent, schemes that need redesigning to work and sites where the layout needs to change. As Neath is in Wales, applications are judged against Planning Policy Wales, and the buyer of land pays Land Transaction Tax (LTT).
If you have a site near Neath that is stuck, a short call is the best place to start.
What we offer in Neath
Policy first
We start with the development plan, national policy and the planning history of the site, so the strategy rests on what the council will actually test the application against.
Nothing to pay upfront
Where we promote land, we fund the planning work. They are only recovered from the sale proceeds if the land sells with planning permission.
Your legal fees covered
On option and promotion agreements we pay your reasonable legal fees, with the amount agreed in the heads of terms before you instruct a solicitor.
Honest about risk
No one can guarantee planning permission. We tell you plainly where the risks sit, what could be done about them and when a site is unlikely to succeed.
The Welsh system, as it applies in Neath
Drainage has its own approval in Wales. Most new developments of more than one home, or with 100 square metres or more of construction area, need sustainable drainage approval from the council's SuDS Approving Body, separate from planning permission, before building starts. For land around Neath, that shapes layout and how many homes fit, so our free site appraisal looks at it alongside access, Local Development Plan policy and the biodiversity requirements of Planning Policy Wales.
In Wales, decisions follow Planning Policy Wales, Future Wales and the council's Local Development Plan. Major developments need statutory pre-application consultation with the community before an application is submitted, and most new developments also need separate approval for sustainable drainage from the local SuDS approving body, which we plan for from the start.
| National planning policy | Planning Policy Wales (Edition 12) and Future Wales: the National Plan 2040, supported by Technical Advice Notes |
|---|---|
| Who decides applications | The local planning authority, usually the county or county borough council (or a national park authority) |
| In-principle consent | Outline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later |
| Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer) | Land Transaction Tax (LTT) |
Questions about Planning Permission and Strategy in Neath
Who pays for a planning application?
Normally whoever makes the application pays the council fee and the cost of the surveys and reports. Under a promotion agreement with Land to Homes, we fund the planning work, and those costs are only recovered from the sale proceeds if the land sells with planning permission. On a direct purchase without planning, the planning cost and risk become ours.
What is the difference between outline and full planning permission?
Outline permission establishes whether development is acceptable in principle, with some or all of the details, known as reserved matters, left for a later application. Full permission approves the detailed scheme in one go. Outline is often used to secure the principle on land before it is sold. In Scotland the equivalent of outline is planning permission in principle.
How long does it take to get planning permission?
It varies with the size of the scheme, the council's workload and whether a legal agreement is needed. Small schemes usually move faster than major applications, which have longer statutory periods and often need a planning obligation. Pre-application advice and good survey work add time at the start but often save time later. We give you a realistic view for your site.
What is a Section 106 agreement?
A Section 106 agreement is a legal agreement between a council and a landowner or developer that makes a development acceptable in planning terms, for example by securing affordable homes or contributions to schools and roads. It applies in England and Wales. Scotland uses Section 75 agreements and Northern Ireland uses Section 76 planning agreements for similar purposes.
Do you take on planning and building work in Neath?
Yes, on sites we buy, option, promote or develop in partnership in Neath and elsewhere in West Glamorgan, including Gorseinon, Briton Ferry and Swansea. We do not take on planning or building work for third parties as a consultancy.
Read more: Planning Permission and Strategy · Guide: Planning permission explained for landowners