Garden and backland plots wanted in Skelmersdale
Development Land Wanted buys garden and backland plots in Skelmersdale 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
The garden and backland plots that interests us around Skelmersdale
Backland development in Skelmersdale turns on access and privacy; we look at both before suggesting whether an application is worth making. Skelmersdale is in Lancashire, about 15 miles south of Preston. Nearby places include Ormskirk, Wigan and Kirkby.
- Long rear gardens backing onto a lane, road or track
- Several neighbouring gardens that could be combined
- Paddocks and orchards behind homes on the edge of a village
- Plots where the owner wants to keep their house
The Forest of Bowland and Arnside and Silverdale National Landscapes and a small part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park cover the rural north and east. Flood risk on the Fylde coast, the Ribble and the Lune shapes many sites, and the M6, M55 and M65 corridors link the main towns.
Before we make an offer in Skelmersdale
Access width
The drive or road into the plot must be safe for cars, bins and emergency vehicles.
Overlooking
New homes must sit far enough from existing homes to protect privacy.
Your own property
Selling garden land changes your home, so we plan boundaries and access carefully.
Since 6 August 2026, non-major development on sites of 0.2 hectares or less in England has generally been exempt from mandatory biodiversity net gain, unless priority habitat is affected. That makes many small sites simpler to bring forward.
Parts of Lancashire 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.
Our base is in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 78 miles away, and we buy land throughout England and Wales.
How we could buy your land in Skelmersdale
Subject-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.
Your questions answered
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 Skelmersdale too far from our Birmingham base?
No. We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 78 miles from Skelmersdale, and we look at land right across England and Wales.
Which planning rules apply to land in Skelmersdale?
As Skelmersdale 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.
