Commercial and industrial sites wanted in Brighton
Development Land Wanted buys commercial and industrial sites in Brighton and right across England and Wales. Owners and agents are both welcome.
Commercial and industrial sites can sometimes be redeveloped for housing, particularly when they sit among homes or are no longer needed for business. We assess whether a change to residential is realistic and buy suitable sites across England and Wales.
- Size
- Any
- Planning
- With or without
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Outright or conditional
Is your land in Brighton the kind we want?
Older business land around Brighton, especially units now surrounded by housing, is the kind of commercial site we would like to discuss. Brighton lies about 7 miles south-west of Lewes in East Sussex. We also cover Hove, Shoreham-by-Sea, Peacehaven and the villages between them.
- Industrial units and yards within residential areas
- Commercial land that is vacant or underused
- Builders' yards, depots and storage land
- Land where employment use has been marketed without success
Brighton and Hove has very limited land between the Downs and the sea, so redevelopment of commercial buildings, garages and yards is common there. Inland, the A22 and A26 towns and High Weald villages see smaller schemes, where ancient woodland and the historic field pattern are frequent considerations.
Checks we make on commercial and industrial sites in Brighton
Employment land protection
Councils often protect business land; evidence of marketing or lack of demand can matter.
Contamination
Past industrial uses usually need investigation.
Neighbouring businesses
Homes next to noisy uses may need mitigation or may not be acceptable.
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 141 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.
Four ways to sell to us
Outright purchase
Common, with leases and remediation reflected in timing and price.
Outright purchaseSubject-to-planning contract
We agree a price now and complete once a satisfactory planning permission is granted.
Subject-to-planning contractHow a sale to us works
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.
Questions owners in Brighton ask
My units are still let. Can you buy?
Yes, in many cases. We look at the leases and break dates and can plan a purchase around them.
Is permitted development an option?
In England, some commercial-to-residential changes can use prior approval. Whether it applies depends on the use, the building and local restrictions.
How quickly can you look at a site in Brighton?
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 Brighton assessed?
No. Our appraisal is free and there is no obligation to sell to us.