Farmland and paddocks wanted in Chester-le-Street
Development Land Wanted buys farmland and paddocks in Chester-le-Street and right across England and Wales. Owners and agents are both welcome.
Farmland and paddocks can become development land when they sit beside a settlement that needs new homes. We look for fields on the edges of towns and villages across England and Wales and work with owners on options, conditional contracts and joint ventures.

- Size
- Paddocks to whole farms
- Planning
- Usually without
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Option, conditional or JV
The farmland and paddocks that interests us around Chester-le-Street
Around Chester-le-Street, paddocks and fields beside existing homes can have real potential, even where they have been grazed or farmed for generations. Sitting about 6 miles north of Durham, Chester-le-Street is within County Durham, with Washington and Houghton-le-Spring close by.
- Fields and paddocks adjoining a town, village or suburb
- Parcels from a few acres to whole holdings
- Land let on a farm business tenancy or grazing licence
- Farmland where the owner wants to keep farming meanwhile
County Durham here includes the Tees Valley towns of Darlington, Stockton-on-Tees and Hartlepool as well as Durham, Chester-le-Street, Consett, Bishop Auckland and the former coalfield villages. Green Belt protects land around Durham and between the Tyne and Wear conurbation and nearby towns, while the North Pennines National Landscape covers the west. Former colliery land, edge-of-village fields and older industrial sites are common sources of housing land.
What decides whether a site in Chester-le-Street works
Relationship to the settlement
Land that reads as an extension of a place is usually more promising than isolated fields.
Farm schemes
Environmental and payment schemes may have obligations to unwind or agree.
Landscape
Protected landscapes and sensitive views limit what may be acceptable.
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.
Some land in County Durham is designated Green Belt. If your land is within it, it may still qualify as grey belt or previously developed land under national policy, subject to the Golden Rules.
Our base is in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 160 miles away, and we buy land throughout England and Wales.
Ways to sell farmland and paddocks in Chester-le-Street
Subject-to-planning contract
We agree a price now and complete once a satisfactory planning permission is granted.
Subject-to-planning contractOption agreement
The usual route for larger farmland: you keep farming and we promote the land.
Option agreementWhat happens after you get in touch
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.
Farmland and paddocks in Chester-le-Street: common questions
Can I keep farming while you pursue planning?
Yes. Under an option or a conditional contract the land normally stays in your hands, and in use, until completion.
How much land do you need?
Anything from a single paddock to larger holdings. Smaller parcels next to villages can be very suitable.
How quickly can you look at a site in Chester-le-Street?
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 Chester-le-Street assessed?
No. Our appraisal is free and there is no obligation to sell to us.
