What we buy
Selling a Brownfield Site or Disused Yard
Former commercial yards, depots, workshops and other previously developed land are often the easiest land to get planning permission for, because national policy favours reusing land that has already been developed.
Why Previously Developed Land Is Favoured
Previously developed land, usually called brownfield, is land that is or was lawfully occupied by a permanent structure, together with the land around it. National planning policy has favoured reusing it for many years, because it takes pressure off the countryside and often tidies up a site that has become an eyesore.
The August 2026 National Planning Policy Framework strengthens that position. Inside settlements, policy S4 sets a default in favour of development unless the harm substantially outweighs the benefits. Outside settlements, policy S5 lists previously developed land as one of the routes to approval. In the Green Belt, previously developed land can count as grey belt, where housing can be treated as not inappropriate if the tests are met. Our grey belt guide explains what that means.
Every council also keeps a brownfield land register, a public list of previously developed sites it considers suitable for housing. Being on it does not guarantee permission, and being left off does not rule a site out, but it shows how the council sees the land.
What Counts, and What Does Not
| Usually counts as previously developed | Usually does not |
|---|---|
| Former commercial or industrial yards and depots | Land last occupied by agricultural or forestry buildings |
| Old workshops, garages and storage buildings | Residential gardens in built-up areas |
| Large areas of hardstanding such as lorry parks and car parks | Parks, recreation grounds and allotments |
| Redundant community buildings | Land where the remains of a structure have blended into the landscape |
| Permanent equestrian buildings, in some cases | Temporary buildings and mobile structures |
The farm building exclusion catches many people out. A redundant barn or glasshouse is not brownfield land under the national definition, however run down it is. That does not mean it has no potential. Agricultural buildings can sometimes be converted to homes under permitted development rights, known as Class Q, without a full planning application. Our guide to Class Q explains how that works and its limits.
Lawfulness also matters. A use that was never authorised, and has not become lawful through the passage of time, may not count. If in doubt, tell us the history of the site and we will check.
Proving a Use Is Lawful
In England, a use carried on without planning permission generally becomes immune from enforcement after 10 years of continuous use. A certificate of lawful existing use from the council confirms that in writing. The evidence is usually business rates bills, invoices, dated photographs and old leases, and it is worth gathering early, because a housebuilder will ask for it.
What We Look For
- Buildings or hardstanding that are no longer needed for their original use.
- Existing vehicle access, which is often a strong starting point.
- A location reasonably close to a town or village, or within one.
- An understanding of past uses, so any contamination can be investigated and allowed for.
- A site that can be vacated on completion, even if it is let or occupied today.
Sites inside villages and towns can be particularly valuable, because the principle of development is usually straightforward. The questions are then about design, neighbours, parking and access.
Contamination, Demolition and Other Costs
Brownfield land can come with extra costs that a field does not. Old fuel tanks, asbestos in roof sheets, made ground from years of tipping, and residues from past industrial uses all need investigating and, where necessary, putting right before homes can be built.
These costs are surveyed and paid for as part of the planning work. A phase 1 desk study looks at the history of the site, and if needed a phase 2 investigation takes samples. The results are allowed for when the price is agreed, so there are no late surprises. Under our agreements, you do not pay for any of this.
Demolition is another cost, and some buildings contain bats or nesting birds that need surveys and licences before they can be taken down. Again, this is part of the work we fund.
How the Costs Show Up in the Price
A housebuilder works out what it can pay by starting with what the finished homes will sell for, then taking off building costs, its profit and every other cost the site brings. On a brownfield site, the clean-up costs come straight off the land value, pound for pound.
- The site
- A yard inside a village, with two steel-framed sheds and concrete hardstanding
- What a housebuilder could pay if the site were clean and clear
- £1,500,000
- Less demolishing the sheds and breaking out the hardstanding
- −£120,000
- Less removing asbestos cement roof sheets with a specialist contractor
- −£35,000
- Less removing two old fuel tanks and treating the soil around them
- −£150,000
- Less gas protection and deeper foundations where the ground is made up
- −£60,000
- What the housebuilder can pay for the land
- £1,135,000
Made-up figures to show the method. The £365,000 of site costs is not a typical figure: some yards need very little, a few need much more, and real costs only become clear after a phase 2 investigation.
This is why we ask about past uses at the very start. A former petrol station or scrapyard points to a larger allowance than a yard only ever used for parking lorries.
Existing Uses and Income
If the yard is still earning rent, that income continues until completion. Existing leases can usually run on during the planning period, with the agreement setting out how vacant possession will be achieved. Business tenancies protected by the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 need particular care, and your solicitor will advise. Our guide to tenancies and vacant possession covers the main types.
Permitted Development and Prior Approval
Some commercial buildings can be turned into homes without a full planning application, under permitted development rights. The owner applies instead for prior approval, where the council can only look at a short list of matters. At the time of writing (September 2026), the main route is Class MA, for buildings in Class E use: shops, offices, cafés, clinics, nurseries and light industrial uses that could sit in a residential area without harming it.
- Use history. The building must have been in Class E use for at least two continuous years before the application. Since March 2024 there is no floorspace limit, and it no longer has to be empty first.
- Where it does not apply. Listed buildings, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, National Parks and National Landscapes, among others. A council can also remove the right locally with an Article 4 direction.
- What the council looks at. Transport, contamination, flooding, noise and daylight, among others.
- Timing. The council has 56 days to decide, and the homes must be finished within three years.
Most yards do not qualify. General industrial (Class B2), storage and distribution (Class B8) and uses outside the classes altogether, such as scrapyards, have no permitted development route to housing and need a full application. Where a building does qualify, a prior approval can act as a fallback, showing the site could lawfully become homes anyway, which can help a better redevelopment scheme.
Affordable Housing and Existing Buildings
The August 2026 NPPF brings back the vacant building credit, in policy HO8. Where a scheme reuses vacant buildings, or demolishes them and builds new, the affordable housing the council asks for can be reduced in proportion to the floorspace of those vacant buildings. On a yard with large sheds, that can make a real difference to what a housebuilder can pay.
The credit does not apply to abandoned buildings, and councils check whether a building was emptied just to claim it. It is one more reason not to demolish anything before talking to us.
Mixed-Use and Employment Land
Some previously developed sites are better suited to a mix of homes and employment space, or to employment alone. Councils sometimes protect existing employment land and ask for evidence that it is no longer needed before allowing housing, usually in the form of a period of marketing.
The detail sits in the local plan and varies between councils. Where a policy protects employment land, the evidence usually asked for includes:
- Marketing through a commercial agent at a realistic rent or price, often for 12 to 24 months depending on the policy.
- A record of the enquiries received, and why none led to a letting or sale.
- The cost of bringing the buildings up to a standard modern businesses would accept.
- Problems such as lorries using narrow village lanes that make continued business use unsuitable.
That evidence takes time, so we check the policy in the desktop review.
Our focus is land for housing or mixed-use schemes. If your site is better suited to employment use, we will tell you, and point you towards the right kind of buyer.
Documents Worth Gathering
You do not need all of this before speaking to us, but the more of it you can find, the quicker a site can be assessed.
- The title number, or the old deeds if the land is unregistered.
- Any leases, licences or informal arrangements with people using the site.
- Planning permissions, refusals and certificates of lawful use.
- Any environmental permit or waste licence, past or present.
- Records of fuel tanks, interceptors and drains.
- Any asbestos survey and earlier ground investigation reports, however old.
Gaps are normal. A phase 1 desk study fills in much of the history from old maps.
How It Works for You
We agree a price with you at the start, above what the site is worth today. We pay for all of the planning work, including contamination and demolition surveys. If permission is granted, we complete the purchase and you receive the agreed price. If not, you keep your site and owe nothing. See every step.
Questions About Brownfield Sites
The yard is still let to a tenant. Is that a problem?
Not usually. Existing leases can run on during the planning period, and the agreement will set out how vacant possession is achieved before completion.
Do you buy commercial sites for commercial use?
Our focus is land with potential for housing or mixed-use schemes. If your site is better suited to employment use, we will tell you.
I think the ground may be contaminated. Will that stop a sale?
Rarely. Contamination is investigated and allowed for in the price. We fund the surveys, and most contamination can be dealt with.
My site is in the Green Belt. Can it still be developed?
Previously developed land in the Green Belt can count as grey belt, and redevelopment can also be acceptable under other Green Belt policies. We check both.
Should I knock the buildings down first?
No. Existing buildings can support the planning case and the vacant building credit, and demolition may need bat surveys first.
Will I be responsible for contamination after I sell?
The contract deals with who carries that risk after completion. Your solicitor will explain the terms before you sign.
Other 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.
Find Out What Your Land Could Be Worth
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