Garden and backland plots wanted in Dorchester
We are actively looking for garden and backland plots in Dorchester and the surrounding area, with or without planning permission.
Garden and backland development means building new homes on land behind existing houses. It works best where there is a safe access and enough space to avoid overlooking. We buy single large gardens and assemble neighbouring gardens where owners agree.
- Size
- 1 to 20 homes typically
- Planning
- Usually without
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Conditional or outright
The garden and backland plots that interests us around Dorchester
Backland development in Dorchester turns on access and privacy; we look at both before suggesting whether an application is worth making. Dorchester is the county town of Dorset. Nearby places we also cover include Weymouth, Yeovil and Poole.
- Several neighbouring gardens that could be combined
- Land behind houses with an existing drive or gap for access
- Paddocks and orchards behind homes on the edge of a village
- Sites with or without previous applications
Dorset combines the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole conurbation with market towns such as Dorchester, Wimborne Minster and Ferndown and a large rural area. Green Belt surrounds the conurbation and extends inland, and the Dorset and Cranborne Chase National Landscapes cover much of the countryside. Typical sites include urban brownfield land, edge-of-town fields, farm buildings and infill plots in villages.
Before we make an offer in Dorchester
Access width
The drive or road into the plot must be safe for cars, bins and emergency vehicles.
Local garden policy
Some councils resist garden development; others support it where character is respected.
Your own property
Selling garden land changes your home, so we plan boundaries and access carefully.
In England, the revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August 2026 replaced the old "tilted balance" with new settlement policies: development within a settlement should normally be approved unless the harm substantially outweighs the benefits, while land outside a settlement can gain support in defined circumstances.
Though we are based in Birmingham (roughly 129 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.
Ways to sell garden and backland plots in Dorchester
Outright purchase
We agree a price and buy the land, with no planning condition attached.
Outright purchaseSubject-to-planning contract
The usual route: we apply and you only sell if 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 ventureHow a sale to us works
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 Dorchester ask
Do I pay tax on selling garden land?
Tax depends on your circumstances, including how much land you have and how it has been used. Speak to a tax adviser before you agree terms.
What if my mortgage lender says no?
Lenders usually agree where the sale reduces the debt or the remaining security is adequate. We build time for this into the process.
Is Dorchester too far from our Birmingham base?
No. We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 129 miles from Dorchester, and we look at land right across England and Wales.
How quickly can you look at a site in Dorchester?
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.