Outright purchase for land in Cambridgeshire
We agree a price and buy the land, with no planning condition attached.
An outright purchase is a straightforward sale: we agree a price, carry out due diligence, exchange contracts and complete, without waiting for planning permission. It gives a landowner certainty and speed, and suits land with planning permission or a clear planning route.
Outright purchase for land in Cambridgeshire
Outright purchase is one of four ways we buy land in Cambridgeshire. Cambridgeshire combines the fast-growing Cambridge area and Peterborough with Fenland market towns such as Wisbech, March and Ely and the towns of St Neots, Huntingdon and St Ives. A Green Belt surrounds Cambridge, while much of the north lies in the low-lying Fens, where flood zone status is often the deciding factor. Typical sites include edge-of-village land, former agricultural yards and larger strategic land promoted for new communities.
Water supply and wastewater capacity have been recurring issues for growth around Cambridge, and Fenland sites usually need careful flood risk evidence. Away from the city, small sites on the edges of villages and market towns along the A14, A10 and A1 corridors are a common source of new housing land.
In England, a planning permission normally has to be implemented within three years unless the council sets a different period, and councils aim to decide minor applications within eight weeks and major ones within thirteen.
English councils keep brownfield land registers, and some previously developed sites can be granted permission in principle, a quicker way of establishing whether housing is acceptable before technical details are settled.
Parts of Cambridgeshire 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.
In short: we agree a price and buy the land, with no planning condition attached. It usually suits land with outline or full planning permission; brownfield and redundant buildings with a clear route; owners who want certainty and a clean break. See how an outright purchase works for the full process, pros and cons.
Land in Cambridgeshire that often suits an outright purchase
WantedLand with planning permission
If you hold a consent in or near Cambridge, send us the decision notice and the approved drawings; that is usually enough for a first view. The usual route for consented land: an agreed price and a straightforward sale.
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WantedInfill plots
Infill gaps in Cambridge's established streets can be among the easiest small sites to bring forward when the design respects the neighbours. Straightforward where consent exists or the case is strong.
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WantedFarmland and paddocks
Around Cambridge, paddocks and fields beside existing homes can have real potential, even where they have been grazed or farmed for generations. Possible for land with a clear planning route.
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WantedSmall sites
In Cambridge, small sites are often the leftover pieces: a side garden, an old garage block or a gap where a building once stood. Common where consent exists or the case is strong.
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WantedCommercial and industrial sites
Older business land around Cambridge, especially units now surrounded by housing, is the kind of commercial site we would like to discuss. Common, with leases and remediation reflected in timing and price.
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WantedRedundant buildings
Redundant buildings in Cambridge often sit in the heart of things, close to shops and transport, which can make them strong residential sites. Common for empty buildings, with conversion costs reflected in the price.
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WantedSites with lapsed or refused planning
Sites around Cambridge with an old refusal can be worth a second look, especially where local or national policy has since changed. Possible where the fix is clear and low risk.
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WantedAllocated and promoted land
If your land near Cambridge appears in the council's plan or its site assessments, send us the reference; it changes the conversation. Common for allocated land with a clear path to an application.
Learn moreTowns we cover in Cambridgeshire
Outright purchase: questions
Can I include overage in an outright sale?
Yes. If you want a share of any future uplift, for example if a larger scheme is later approved, an overage clause can be negotiated.
Do you need to survey the land first?
We usually carry out some checks before exchange, such as title review, searches and, where relevant, ground or ecology surveys.
Will you pay a deposit?
Deposits on exchange are common and are agreed as part of the heads of terms.
Do you use outright purchases for land in Cambridgeshire?
Yes. We use outright purchases across Cambridgeshire and the rest of England, where the structure suits the site and the owner.