Brownfield land wanted in Portsmouth
Development Land Wanted buys brownfield land in Portsmouth and right across England and Wales. Owners and agents are both welcome.
Brownfield land is land that has been developed before, such as a former factory, depot, yard or cleared building plot. National policy in both England and Wales supports reusing it, and we buy brownfield sites of all sizes for new homes.

- Size
- Any
- Planning
- With or without
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Outright or conditional
The brownfield land that interests us around Portsmouth
Brownfield land in Portsmouth tends to be well located for homes; the questions are usually about contamination, demolition and neighbours. In Hampshire, Portsmouth sits about 21 miles south-east of Winchester; Gosport and Fareham are its nearest neighbours on our list.
- Former industrial, commercial or depot sites
- Cleared sites and land with hardstanding
- Yards and builders' compounds within towns
- Sites with known contamination where the history is documented
Hampshire includes the cities of Southampton, Portsmouth and Winchester, the north Hampshire towns of Basingstoke, Farnborough, Aldershot and Fleet, and a large rural area. The New Forest and South Downs National Parks, several National Landscapes and Green Belt on the Dorset border in the south-west all constrain land. Typical sites include edge-of-town fields, farm buildings, infill plots and urban brownfield land.
What decides whether a site in Portsmouth works
Demolition and ground
Old foundations, tanks and services add cost, so we allow for them in our appraisal.
Neighbouring uses
Noise or smells from neighbouring businesses can affect whether homes are acceptable.
Existing floorspace
Vacant buildings can reduce affordable housing requirements in some cases (vacant building credit, England).
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.
Though we are based in Birmingham (roughly 126 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.
Four ways to sell to us
Outright purchase
Common for brownfield, with contamination and demolition allowed for in the price.
Outright purchaseSubject-to-planning contract
Useful where the change from commercial to residential still needs consent.
Subject-to-planning contractThe next steps
Get in touch
Tell us where the land is and what you know about it.
Site review
We look at the land, its planning position and anything that could affect it.
Proposal
We put our proposal in writing, with no obligation to accept.
Exchange and completion
If you go ahead, contracts are exchanged and the sale completes on the agreed terms.
Your questions answered
Do I have to clear the site first?
No. We can buy with buildings and hardstanding in place and deal with demolition ourselves.
Is brownfield land easier to get planning on?
National policy in England and Wales supports making good use of previously developed land, but each site still needs to meet local policies.
Do you buy brownfield land in Portsmouth?
Yes. We buy brownfield 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.
Which planning rules apply to land in Portsmouth?
As Portsmouth is in England, national policy comes from the National Planning Policy Framework, revised in August 2026. Local policies in the council's development plan also apply.
