What we buy
What Land Do We Buy?
We look for land across England with a realistic prospect of planning permission for new homes, usually next to or close to an existing town or village. Size, current use and ownership matter less than you might think. Location and access matter most.
Our Criteria
A quick summary of what we look for. Meeting all of these is not essential, and one strong feature can outweigh a weaker one.
Size
2 to 200+ acres
From a paddock for a small village scheme to larger fields for a phased development.
Location
England
Next to, or well related to, an existing town or village, with services within reach.
Current Use
Farmland, paddocks, inherited land, yards
Arable, grazing, equestrian, unused or inherited land, and old commercial yards or depots.
Planning Status
Unallocated or allocated
Land without planning, land outside current local plans, and sites where earlier attempts stalled.
Access
Road frontage, or a way to get it
Direct road frontage is ideal. Where access needs a neighbour's land, we can often negotiate it.
Ownership
One owner or several
Single owners, families, trustees and estates. Neighbouring owners can join one agreement.
Types of Land We Buy
Selling Farmland for Housing Development
Arable or grazing land next to a town or village may have development value. How an option works for farmers, tenancies, farm payments and tax.
Selling Inherited Land With Development Potential
Inherited a field or plot on the edge of a village? How to find out if it has development value, how probate and co-owners affect a sale, and the tax points.
Selling a Paddock or Small Field for Development
Paddocks and small fields of 2 to 10 acres next to villages can suit small housing schemes. What makes a small site work and how the planning rules treat it.
Selling a Brownfield Site or Disused Yard
Old commercial yards, depots and other previously developed land can suit housing. How national policy favours brownfield land and what we look for.
Green Belt land? Some of it may now count as grey belt, where housing can be approved if the policy tests are met. Read our grey belt guide.
Land Types at a Glance
| Land type | What usually decides it | What to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| Farmland | How the field sits against the village or town, and the council's housing position | Tenancies, farm scheme agreements, and access to the land you keep |
| Paddocks and small sites | A safe access with enough visibility | Horses and grazing licences, and the effect on your own home |
| Inherited land | The same planning tests as any other land | Probate, getting every owner to agree, and the probate value for tax |
| Brownfield sites and yards | Whether the use is lawful, and any employment land policy | Contamination, demolition and existing leases |
| Green Belt land | Whether it counts as grey belt and meets the Golden Rules | Affordable housing and green space requirements, which affect the price |
What Makes a Site Work
When we review land, these are the questions that decide whether planning permission is realistic.
Relationship to a Settlement
New homes are expected to go where people can reach shops, schools, doctors and public transport without depending entirely on a car. Land that adjoins the edge of a town or village, or is well related to it, is far stronger than a field in open countryside. Under the national planning rules published in August 2026, being "physically well related to an existing settlement" is one of the tests for approving homes outside a settlement boundary. It is not the same as touching the boundary: a field across a lane from the last house can qualify, and a field that touches the boundary can fail if it would harm the landscape.
Access to a Road
Almost every scheme needs a safe vehicle access onto a public road, with enough visibility for the speed of traffic. On small sites, the access point often decides whether a scheme works at all. If your only access is a narrow field gate, or across land owned by someone else, tell us early. A neighbouring owner can sometimes join the agreement, and our guide to access and ransom strips explains the issues.
Flood Risk
The Environment Agency's flood map places land in flood zones 1, 2 or 3. Housing is steered towards zone 1 wherever possible, and land mostly in zone 3 is rarely suitable. A small area of higher risk along a stream can often be kept as open space. See our guide to flood risk and development land.
Designations
Some protections make development very difficult: Sites of Special Scientific Interest, ancient woodland, the setting of important listed buildings, and National Landscapes (formerly Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) all carry significant weight. Others, such as Green Belt, have become more flexible since the introduction of grey belt. Conservation areas and tree preservation orders shape a scheme rather than rule it out.
The Council's Housing Position
A council that is failing to deliver enough homes, or whose local plan is out of date, is more likely to approve well-located sites. A council with a new plan and strong delivery will usually expect housing to come forward through its allocations. We check both for every site, and our areas pages show the position for each council in the counties where we are most active.
Ownership and Tenancies
Every legal owner needs to agree before an option can be signed. We are used to working with families, trustees and executors, and with land that is let to a farmer. Tenancies do not stop a site going forward, but the agreement needs to reflect how vacant possession will be obtained. Our guide to tenancies and vacant possession explains the main types.
Land That Is Usually Ruled Out
We would rather tell you early than tie up your land in an agreement that cannot succeed. These are the common reasons a site does not work.
- Most of the land is in flood zone 3.
- It sits in open countryside, well away from any settlement.
- There is no realistic way of creating a safe road access.
- It is inside a Site of Special Scientific Interest or is ancient woodland.
- It lies in a strongly protected landscape where major development would not be accepted.
- It performs a strong Green Belt function, such as keeping two towns apart.
- The land is too narrow or oddly shaped to take a sensible layout.
Even if your land has one of these issues, it can still be worth asking. Part of a holding may work when the whole does not, and land that cannot take housing may have other value, for example as a site for Biodiversity Net Gain. Our BNG guide explains that option.
How Size Affects the Price
Development land is valued in homes, not acres. What a site is worth depends on how many homes it will take, what they will sell for and what they cost to build.
| Site size | Typical scheme | What tends to affect the price |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 6 acres | Roughly 15 to 50 homes | The access, and fixed costs such as a new junction spread over fewer homes |
| 6 to 25 acres | Roughly 50 to 180 homes | Affordable housing, section 106 contributions and Biodiversity Net Gain |
| 25 to 100 acres | Several hundred homes, often in phases | Road and drainage infrastructure, and the time taken to build and sell |
| 100 acres and more | A new neighbourhood with a school or local centre | Major infrastructure, and a longer route through the local plan |
The value per acre usually falls as sites get bigger, because more land goes on roads, open space and facilities, and the homes take years to sell. Small sites attract more bidders, but one expensive item, such as a long access road, weighs heavily on a few homes. Our page on how land value is worked out goes through the arithmetic, and our guide to section 106 and CIL explains the contributions.
Where We Add the Most Value
Our approach is built for land that needs planning work to reach its full value. That is where we make the biggest difference to what a landowner receives.
- Land without planning permission. The uplift that planning creates is the value we help you capture, and we carry all of the cost and risk of getting there.
- Land on the edge of a town or village. Fields, paddocks and yards that are well related to existing homes are the sites councils are most likely to support.
- Sites with a problem to solve. Access, drainage, a tenancy, an awkward boundary or a Green Belt question. Solving these is what our planners and consultants do every day.
- Land held by families, executors and trustees. A fixed, agreed price is the simplest way for several owners to reach one decision together.
- Land in England. We cover the whole of England, with most activity in the counties listed on our areas page.
If you are not sure where your land fits, ask. The desktop review is free and there is no obligation.
How to Prepare Before You Get in Touch
- The address or title number, and a plan with the boundary marked. A rough sketch on a map is fine.
- Who owns the land, and whether every owner knows you are asking.
- Anyone who uses the land: tenants, graziers, or people with a right of way.
- Any planning history, including past refusals and any call for sites the land was put into.
- Any existing option, promotion or overage agreement, or letters from other developers.
- What you want: timing, whether you want to keep part of the land, and anything you would not accept.
Carry on using the land as normal. Please do not clear hedges, scrub or grassland first, because it can make Biodiversity Net Gain harder, not easier. If a developer has already written to you, our page on letters from developers explains what to check.
What We Look at in a Desktop Review
- The HM Land Registry title and title plan, including rights of way and restrictions.
- Road access and visibility from Ordnance Survey mapping and street imagery.
- Flood zones and surface water flood risk.
- Heritage assets, landscape designations and protected habitats nearby.
- Green Belt status and, where relevant, whether the land could count as grey belt.
- The council's local plan, housing requirement, Housing Delivery Test result and plan-making timetable.
- Planning history on and around the site.
- A realistic number of homes, allowing for roads, open space, drainage and Biodiversity Net Gain.
The review is free and confidential. At the end of it you get a plain answer and, if the site looks promising, proposed terms. Request a review.
Questions About What We Buy
What is the smallest site you consider?
We usually look at sites from about 2 acres. Smaller plots can still work within or right on the edge of a village, especially with good road frontage, so ask anyway.
Do you buy land that already has planning permission?
Our focus is land that still needs planning, because that is where our work adds the most value for you. If your land already has permission, tell us about it and we will talk it through.
Do you buy land for commercial use?
We focus on land for housing or mixed-use schemes. If your site is better suited to employment use, we will tell you.
What if my land is in the Green Belt?
It is not automatically ruled out. Some Green Belt land can now count as grey belt, and some councils are releasing Green Belt land through their local plans. We check both.
Can I sell part of my land and keep the rest?
Yes. Many owners do. The agreement sets out the boundary, access and services so the land you keep still works.
Find Out What Your Land Could Be Worth
A free, confidential desktop review of your land. No cost and no obligation.