Commercial and industrial sites wanted in Rochester
If you own commercial and industrial sites in or around Rochester, we would like to hear about it. We buy directly and give a free, no-obligation appraisal.
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
The commercial and industrial sites that interests us around Rochester
Older business land around Rochester, especially units now surrounded by housing, is the kind of commercial site we would like to discuss. Sitting about 8 miles north of Maidstone, Rochester is within Kent, with Chatham and Strood close by.
- Industrial units and yards within residential areas
- Sites with tenants on short leases or approaching breaks
- Builders' yards, depots and storage land
- 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 Rochester
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.
Parts of Kent 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.
Though we are based in Birmingham (roughly 130 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.
Choosing how to sell
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 contractJoint venture
You contribute the land, we fund and manage planning and delivery, and the proceeds are shared as agreed.
Joint ventureThe next steps
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.
Will the council object to losing business land?
Some councils protect employment land. Evidence that the site is no longer needed or suitable for business can help.
Can an agent introduce land in Rochester 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.
Which planning rules apply to land in Rochester?
As Rochester 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.