Commercial and industrial sites wanted in Hatfield
We are actively looking for commercial and industrial sites in Hatfield and the surrounding area, with or without planning permission.
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
What commercial and industrial sites we want near Hatfield
In Hatfield, industrial land that has drifted out of use can often be reimagined as homes, subject to the council's view on employment land. Hatfield lies about 7 miles west of Hertford in Hertfordshire. We also cover Welwyn Garden City, St Albans, Potters Bar and the villages between them.
- Commercial land that is vacant or underused
- Sites with tenants on short leases or approaching breaks
- Builders' yards, depots and storage land
- Land where employment use has been marketed without success
The M1, A1(M), M25 and several commuter rail lines into London make many Hertfordshire villages well connected to stations, which revised English planning policy treats as a factor in favour of development. Former employment sites, garages, yards and paddocks on town edges are common sources of smaller housing land.
Checks we make on commercial and industrial sites in Hatfield
Leases
Tenancies and their protection affect when the site can be redeveloped.
Contamination
Past industrial uses usually need investigation.
Neighbouring businesses
Homes next to noisy uses may need mitigation or may not be acceptable.
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.
Parts of Hertfordshire 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.
Our base is in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 90 miles away, and we buy land throughout England and Wales.
Choosing how to sell
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 contractOption agreement
You grant us the right to buy within a set period, usually for an option premium, while we pursue planning.
Option agreementHow 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.
Frequently asked in Hertfordshire
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.
Is Hatfield too far from our Birmingham base?
No. We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 90 miles from Hatfield, and we look at land right across England and Wales.
Which planning rules apply to land in Hatfield?
As Hatfield 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.