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Wanted in Portsmouth

Development land wanted in Portsmouth

We are looking for development land in and around Portsmouth: plots, fields, brownfield sites and buildings.

Portsmouth is in Hampshire, about 21 miles south-east of Winchester. Nearby places include Gosport, Fareham and Hayling Island. Though we are based in Birmingham (roughly 126 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.

Nutrient neutrality advice has applied across much of south Hampshire because of the Solent's protected habitats, and coastal schemes contribute to recreation mitigation for overwintering birds. The M3 and M27 corridors carry most planned growth, with smaller sites in market towns such as Alton, Andover and Romsey.

In England, the revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August 2026 replaced the old "tilted balance" with new settlement policies: development within a settlement should normally be approved unless the harm substantially outweighs the benefits, while land outside a settlement can gain support in defined circumstances.

Parts of Hampshire are Green Belt, though not every town has any nearby. We check early whether a site is inside it and, if so, whether a grey belt or previously developed land case could apply.

Land we want in Portsmouth

Edge-of-town meadow with timber survey stakes and orange marker pegs, houses along the far boundary

Residential development land

Around Portsmouth, the residential land that tends to work is close to existing homes, shops and transport rather than out on its own.

Vacant fenced development plot with a council planning notice tied to a lamp post and terraced houses beyond

Land with planning permission

If you hold a consent in or near Portsmouth, send us the decision notice and the approved drawings; that is usually enough for a first view.

Gently sloping green field next to an English village with a church tower behind a hawthorn hedge

Land without planning permission

Near Portsmouth, land without planning is worth discussing where it adjoins existing homes or has been put forward to the council's plan.

Cleared former industrial yard with cracked concrete, a palisade fence and an old brick warehouse wall

Brownfield land

Former works, depots and yards in and around Portsmouth can make good housing sites once the ground and neighbouring uses are understood.

Overgrown empty plot between two Edwardian semi-detached houses on a suburban street

Infill plots

Infill gaps in Portsmouth's established streets can be among the easiest small sites to bring forward when the design respects the neighbours.

Long rear gardens behind 1930s semi-detached houses with a gravel access lane along the bottom

Garden and backland plots

Backland development in Portsmouth turns on access and privacy; we look at both before suggesting whether an application is worth making.

Horse paddock with post-and-rail fencing and a field gate on the edge of a village at evening

Farmland and paddocks

Fields that wrap around the edges of Portsmouth and its neighbouring villages are the farmland we most want to talk about.

High aerial view of large farmland fields beside a market town, a ring road and a river lined with willows

Strategic land

If you own a substantial holding near Portsmouth, the council's plan timetable will shape when and how it could be promoted.

Corner plot of rough grass at a suburban road junction with houses along both roads

Small sites

Small sites in and around Portsmouth are central to what we look for, from corner plots to the odd field on the edge of a nearby village.

Vacant single-storey industrial units with grey roller shutters and an empty tarmac forecourt

Commercial and industrial sites

Older business land around Portsmouth, especially units now surrounded by housing, is the kind of commercial site we would like to discuss.

Disused two-storey 1960s brick office building with an empty weed-cracked car park among houses

Redundant buildings

Redundant buildings in Portsmouth often sit in the heart of things, close to shops and transport, which can make them strong residential sites.

Traditional red-brick barn with clay tile roof beside a modern steel portal-frame barn on a farmyard

Barns and rural buildings

Farm buildings near Portsmouth that have fallen out of use may suit conversion, particularly traditional barns with a good access.

Row of lock-up garages with faded up-and-over doors around a tarmac court behind 1960s houses

Garage courts and yards

Garage courts tucked behind homes in Portsmouth are often ideal for a small number of new houses or bungalows.

Overgrown fenced plot with brambles and saplings behind a weathered hoarding between houses

Sites with lapsed or refused planning

Sites around Portsmouth with an old refusal can be worth a second look, especially where local or national policy has since changed.

Desk with a printed local plan proposals map showing coloured site boundaries and a housing layout sketch

Allocated and promoted land

Around Portsmouth, allocated sites and land put forward to the council are usually the furthest along, so they can often move faster than land at an earlier stage.

Ways to sell development land in Portsmouth

01

Outright purchase

We agree a price and buy the land, with no planning condition attached.

Outright purchase

02

Subject-to-planning contract

We agree a price now and complete once a satisfactory planning permission is granted.

Subject-to-planning contract

03

Option agreement

You grant us the right to buy within a set period, usually for an option premium, while we pursue planning.

Option agreement

04

Joint venture

You contribute the land, we fund and manage planning and delivery, and the proceeds are shared as agreed.

How a sale to us works

Tell us about the land
Use the form or call us with the location and a rough outline of the site.
Free appraisal
We review title, planning and constraints and tell you honestly what we think.
Written offer
If the site suits us, we set out an offer and the way we propose to buy.
Solicitors take over
Your solicitor and ours agree the contract; we keep you informed throughout.

Development land in Portsmouth: common questions

Do you buy development land in Portsmouth?

Yes. We buy development land in Portsmouth and throughout Hampshire, as well as elsewhere in England and Wales. Tell us where the land is and we will give you a free appraisal.

How quickly can you look at a site in Portsmouth?

For most sites we can give an initial view once we have the location and a plan. Detailed checks follow if the land looks suitable.

Do I need to pay anything to have land in Portsmouth assessed?

No. Our appraisal is free and there is no obligation to sell to us.

Do you only buy land with planning permission?

No. Much of the land we look at has no planning permission. We assess whether a permission is realistic and can buy subject to planning, take an option or buy outright.

Got land that could take new homes?

Free, no-obligation site appraisal. We buy directly, with or without planning.

Submit a site 0800 088 6248

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