Garden and backland plots wanted in Herefordshire
We are actively looking for garden and backland plots in Herefordshire 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
What garden and backland plots we want near Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a rural county with the city of Hereford, the market towns of Leominster, Ross-on-Wye and Ledbury, and many small villages and hamlets. There is no Green Belt, but the Wye Valley and Malvern Hills National Landscapes cover parts of the county. Phosphate pollution in the River Wye and its tributary the Lugg has been a major barrier to new housing, so drainage and nutrient mitigation are often central to whether a site can proceed.
- Long rear gardens backing onto a lane, road or track
- Land behind houses with an existing drive or gap for access
- Paddocks and orchards behind homes on the edge of a village
- Plots where the owner wants to keep their house
Most new homes are planned around Hereford and the market towns, with smaller numbers in villages through neighbourhood plans. Typical opportunities include edge-of-village paddocks, redundant farm buildings, infill plots and former commercial land, with flood risk along the Wye and Lugg valleys a frequent consideration.
What decides whether a site in Herefordshire works
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.
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.
English councils keep brownfield land registers, and some previously developed sites can be granted permission in principle, a quicker way of establishing whether housing is acceptable before technical details are settled.
Herefordshire has no designated Green Belt, so the main policy questions near Herefordshire are usually the settlement boundary, landscape and access.
Garden and backland plots wanted in towns across Herefordshire
Choosing how to sell
Subject-to-planning contract
We agree a price now and complete once a satisfactory planning 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 agreementThe next steps
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.
Questions owners in Herefordshire ask
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.
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.
How quickly can you look at a site in Herefordshire?
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 Herefordshire assessed?
No. Our appraisal is free and there is no obligation to sell to us.