Commercial and industrial sites wanted in Colchester
We are actively looking for commercial and industrial sites in Colchester and the surrounding area, with or without planning permission.
If you own industrial units, a business yard or commercial land that is surrounded by housing or underused, it may be worth more as a residential site. We look at employment land policy, tenancies and ground conditions before making an offer.
- Size
- Any
- Planning
- With or without
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Outright or conditional
Commercial and industrial sites we are looking for in Colchester
In Colchester, industrial land that has drifted out of use can often be reimagined as homes, subject to the council's view on employment land. In Essex, Colchester sits about 21 miles north-east of Chelmsford; Sudbury and Clacton-on-Sea are its nearest neighbours on our list.
- Sites with tenants on short leases or approaching breaks
- Builders' yards, depots and storage land
- Garage, workshop and showroom sites
- Land where employment use has been marketed without success
The Thames estuary, the Blackwater and the Colne bring flood risk and coastal habitat considerations, and many coastal schemes contribute to recreational disturbance mitigation for protected birds. The A12, A120 and Great Eastern Main Line corridors, and the Dedham Vale and Suffolk and Essex Coast and Heaths National Landscapes in the north, shape where growth goes.
Checks we make on commercial and industrial sites in Colchester
Leases
Tenancies and their protection affect when the site can be redeveloped.
Contamination
Past industrial uses usually need investigation.
Permitted development (England)
Some changes from commercial to residential use can be made through prior approval rather than a full application.
National policy in England now recognises "medium development" of 10 to 49 homes on sites up to 2.5 hectares, and asks councils to allocate at least 10% of their housing on sites of one hectare or less and a further 10% on sites of one to 2.5 hectares.
Our base is in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 127 miles away, and we buy land throughout 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
Used where a change of use still needs consent.
Subject-to-planning contractFrom first call to completion
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
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.
Do I need to market the site first?
Not to sell to us. Marketing evidence can, however, support a planning case for change of use.
Do you buy commercial and industrial sites in Colchester?
Yes. We buy commercial and industrial sites in Colchester and throughout Essex, 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 Colchester?
As Colchester 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.