Commercial and industrial sites wanted in Cowes
We are actively looking for commercial and industrial sites in Cowes 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
Is your land in Cowes the kind we want?
Older business land around Cowes, especially units now surrounded by housing, is the kind of commercial site we would like to discuss. Cowes lies about 4 miles north of Newport on the Isle of Wight. We also cover East Cowes, Newport, Ryde and the villages between them.
- Industrial units and yards within residential areas
- Commercial land that is vacant or underused
- Sites with tenants on short leases or approaching breaks
- Builders' yards, depots and storage land
The Isle of Wight has no Green Belt, but the Isle of Wight National Landscape covers much of the coast and downland. Housing is concentrated around Newport, Ryde, Cowes and East Cowes, Sandown and Shanklin, with many villages elsewhere. Typical sites are edge-of-town fields, infill plots, former holiday or commercial premises and farm buildings, with coastal change and ground instability relevant on parts of the coast.
What decides whether a site in Cowes works
Leases
Tenancies and their protection affect when the site can be redeveloped.
Neighbouring businesses
Homes next to noisy uses may need mitigation or may not be acceptable.
Permitted development (England)
Some changes from commercial to residential use can be made through prior approval rather than a full application.
Where an English council cannot show a five-year supply of housing land, or its Housing Delivery Test result falls below 75%, the August 2026 NPPF can give policy support to suitable housing outside settlement boundaries.
The Isle of Wight has no designated Green Belt, so the main policy questions near Cowes are usually the settlement boundary, landscape and access.
Our base is in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 126 miles away, and we buy land throughout England and Wales.
How we could buy your land in Cowes
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.
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.
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 Cowes too far from our Birmingham base?
No. We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 126 miles from Cowes, and we look at land right across England and Wales.
Can an agent introduce land in Cowes to you?
Yes. Estate agents, land agents and planning consultants can introduce sites with the owner's consent. Any fee is agreed in writing before details are shared, confirmed by the owner in writing and paid only on completion.