Commercial and industrial sites wanted in Kent
Development Land Wanted buys commercial and industrial sites in Kent and right across England and Wales. Owners and agents are both welcome.
Older commercial and industrial land within towns is often better suited to homes than to modern business. We are interested in units, yards and estates where redevelopment for housing is realistic.
- Size
- Any
- Planning
- With or without
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Outright or conditional
Commercial and industrial sites we are looking for in Kent
Kent ranges from the Medway towns, Dartford and Gravesend on the Thames to Maidstone, Ashford, Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells and the coastal towns of Margate, Ramsgate, Folkestone and Dover. West Kent is largely Metropolitan Green Belt, while the Kent Downs and High Weald National Landscapes cover much of the countryside. Sites typically include edge-of-town fields, orchards and farmland, farm buildings, infill plots and brownfield land in the towns.
- Commercial land that is vacant or underused
- Builders' yards, depots and storage land
- Garage, workshop and showroom sites
- Land where employment use has been marketed without success
Nutrient neutrality advice has affected the Stour catchment around Canterbury and Ashford because of the protected Stodmarsh wetlands. High Speed 1 stations and the M2, M20 and A2 corridors are a focus for growth, while coastal flood risk matters on the Thames and Swale estuaries and Romney Marsh.
Before we make an offer in Kent
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.
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.
The Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 introduced Environmental Delivery Plans and a Nature Restoration Levy in England, which over time may offer an alternative to site-by-site mitigation for some environmental issues.
Commercial and industrial sites wanted in towns across Kent
Four ways to sell to us
Outright purchase
We agree a price and buy the land, with no planning condition attached.
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 agreementJoint venture
You contribute the land, we fund and manage planning and delivery, and the proceeds are shared as agreed.
Joint ventureThe next steps
Tell us about the land
Use the form or call us with the location and a rough outline of the site.
Free appraisal
We review title, planning and constraints and tell you honestly what we think.
Written offer
If the site suits us, we set out an offer and the way we propose to buy.
Solicitors take over
Your solicitor and ours agree the contract; we keep you informed throughout.
Questions owners in Kent 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.
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.
How quickly can you look at a site in Kent?
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 Kent assessed?
No. Our appraisal is free and there is no obligation to sell to us.