Garden and backland plots wanted in East Sussex
Development Land Wanted buys garden and backland plots in East Sussex and right across England and Wales. Owners and agents are both welcome.
A backland plot is land behind existing buildings, usually large rear gardens, reached by a new or existing access. Garden land can sometimes take new homes, especially where several neighbours sell together or a lane runs along the back.
- Size
- 1 to 20 homes typically
- Planning
- Usually without
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Conditional or outright
Garden and backland plots we are looking for in East Sussex
East Sussex runs from Brighton and Hove along the coast to Eastbourne, Bexhill and Hastings, with inland towns such as Lewes, Uckfield, Hailsham and Crowborough. There is no Green Belt, but the South Downs National Park and the High Weald National Landscape cover a large share of the county, squeezing development between protected countryside and the sea. Typical sites are small edge-of-town fields, infill plots, garden land and urban brownfield sites.
- Long rear gardens backing onto a lane, road or track
- Several neighbouring gardens that could be combined
- Land behind houses with an existing drive or gap for access
- Sites with or without previous applications
Brighton and Hove has very limited land between the Downs and the sea, so redevelopment of commercial buildings, garages and yards is common there. Inland, the A22 and A26 towns and High Weald villages see smaller schemes, where ancient woodland and the historic field pattern are frequent considerations.
What usually makes or breaks it
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.
Mortgage consent
If your home is mortgaged, the lender will usually need to release the garden land.
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.
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.
Garden and backland plots wanted in towns across East Sussex
Choosing how to sell
Subject-to-planning contract
The usual route: we apply and you only sell if 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 ventureFrom first call to completion
Send the basics
A postcode or plan and a few lines about the land are enough to start.
We do the homework
We check planning history, policy, flood maps and access at no cost to you.
We explain the options
You get a written proposal covering price, structure and timing.
Agree and proceed
Once you are happy, solicitors are instructed and the deal moves forward.
Frequently asked in East Sussex
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.
My neighbours might sell too. Does that help?
Often, yes. Combining gardens can create a better site and access. We can talk to each owner and keep the arrangement fair.
Do you buy garden and backland plots in East Sussex?
Yes. We buy garden and backland plots in East Sussex and throughout East Sussex, as well as elsewhere in England and Wales. Tell us where the land is and we will give you a free appraisal.
Which planning rules apply to land in East Sussex?
As East Sussex 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.