Selling Land in Worcestershire

Worcestershire has six district councils: Bromsgrove, Malvern Hills, Redditch, Worcester, Wychavon and Wyre Forest. Worcestershire County Council is responsible for highways, schools and minerals. The districts decide housing applications. Worcester, Malvern Hills and Wychavon share one plan, the South Worcestershire Development Plan.

• Bromsgrove is below 75%. It delivered 58% of the homes it needed in the Housing Delivery Test 2025. It is treated as having evidenced unmet housing need under policy S5 of the August 2026 NPPF, but most of the district is Green Belt, where S5 does not apply and grey belt policy does.
• Worcester is below 95%. The city delivered 88%, which means it must publish an action plan. It is not below the 75% line.
• The rest are delivering. Wyre Forest delivered more than double its requirement, Redditch 129%, and Malvern Hills and Wychavon just over 100%.
• A new plan in the south. The South Worcestershire Development Plan Review was found sound in March 2026 and adopted by the three councils on 26 March 2026.
• Two National Landscapes. The Malvern Hills on the western edge and the Cotswolds around Broadway in the south east.

The West Midlands Green Belt

The Green Belt covers most of Bromsgrove, much of Wyre Forest, the land around Redditch and the north of Wychavon near Droitwich. It was drawn to stop Birmingham and the Black Country spreading south and to keep the Worcestershire towns separate. Since December 2024, land that does not strongly contribute to Green Belt purposes can be grey belt, which opens a route for some sites, subject to the Golden Rules. Our grey belt guide explains how that is judged.

The Malvern Hills and the Cotswolds

The Malvern Hills National Landscape runs along the western edge of the county, shared with Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. The Cotswolds National Landscape reaches into Wychavon around Broadway and the villages below the escarpment. Inside either one, major development is only allowed in exceptional circumstances. Land in their setting, especially in views from the Malvern ridge, is assessed carefully.

The Severn and Its Tributaries

The Severn runs the length of the county, through Bewdley, Stourport, Worcester and Upton-upon-Severn, and these places have a long history of flooding. The Teme, the Avon through Evesham and Pershore, and the Stour through Kidderminster add more flood plain. Land in Flood Zones 2 and 3 faces the sequential test. Many farms have their best development land well above the river meadows, and a layout that keeps homes on the higher ground can still work. Our guide to flood risk and development land explains the approach.

Heritage

Worcester has its cathedral and historic centre, and there are conservation areas in Pershore, Upton, Bewdley, Broadway and many villages. As elsewhere, heritage tends to shape the layout and number of homes rather than stop a scheme outright.

Roads and Rail

The M5 runs north to south past Bromsgrove, Droitwich and Worcester, with the M42 in the north and the M50 branching off in the south. Worcestershire Parkway station opened in 2020 where the Cotswold line crosses the Birmingham to Bristol line. Congestion on the roads into Worcester and school capacity are common issues raised at planning stage.

The right route depends on which half of the county you are in. In the south the plan has just been settled. In the north the Green Belt decides most things. The main options are:

1. South Worcestershire, the next review. The plan adopted in March 2026 has fixed the main sites for now. Land that is not in it can be put forward for the next review, and early preparation helps. Our guide to call for sites and local plans explains how.
2. Bromsgrove's new plan. Bromsgrove is carrying out a new Green Belt assessment for its plan. Landowners who put evidence forward now are in a better position when draft sites are chosen.
3. Grey belt. In Bromsgrove, Wyre Forest and around Redditch, land that does little to stop sprawl or merging may qualify. The Golden Rules on affordable housing, infrastructure and green space apply.
4. Previously developed land. Old yards, poultry units and commercial sites, which national policy supports inside and outside settlements, including in the Green Belt in some cases.
5. Land outside the Green Belt in Bromsgrove. Where a site is outside the Green Belt, the council's low delivery means it is treated as having unmet need. Other constraints still apply.

Worcestershire suits landowners who can be patient in the south and precise in the north. In both cases the planning work is detailed, and under our agreements it is paid for you. See how it works for the full process.