Farmland and paddocks wanted in Somerset
We are actively looking for farmland and paddocks in Somerset and the surrounding area, with or without planning permission.
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
Farmland and paddocks we are looking for in Somerset
Somerset, as used here, includes Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Portishead, Clevedon and Keynsham as well as Taunton, Yeovil, Bridgwater and Frome. Green Belt lies around Bath and Bristol in the north, and Exmoor National Park and the Mendip Hills, Quantock Hills, Blackdown Hills, Cranborne Chase and Cotswolds National Landscapes cover much of the rest. The Somerset Levels and Moors are at high flood risk, so sites on higher ground are often favoured.
- Fields and paddocks adjoining a town, village or suburb
- Parcels from a few acres to whole holdings
- Land put forward to a local plan or call for sites
- Farmland where the owner wants to keep farming meanwhile
Nutrient neutrality advice linked to the Somerset Levels and Moors protected sites has affected housing across much of the county. The M5 corridor through Bridgwater and Taunton, and growth linked to Hinkley Point C, have increased demand for land near those towns.
Checks we make on farmland and paddocks in Somerset
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.
Best and most versatile land
High-grade agricultural land can be a factor in planning decisions.
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.
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 Somerset 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.
Parts of Somerset fall within Exmoor National Park, Mendip Hills National Landscape, Quantock Hills National Landscape, Blackdown Hills National Landscape, Cranborne Chase National Landscape and Cotswolds National Landscape. Protected landscapes carry strong policy protection, so land in or next to them needs particularly careful assessment.
Farmland and paddocks wanted in towns across Somerset
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
Works well for smaller paddocks and edge-of-village fields.
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.
Questions owners in Somerset ask
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.
Will I lose my farm payments?
Development land may need to leave a scheme at some point. Check your agreements and take advice; we plan timing around them where we can.
Do you buy farmland and paddocks in Somerset?
Yes. We buy farmland and paddocks in Somerset and throughout Somerset, as well as elsewhere in England and Wales. Tell us where the land is and we will give you a free appraisal.
How quickly can you look at a site in Somerset?
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.