Garden and backland plots wanted in North Yorkshire
We are actively looking for garden and backland plots in North Yorkshire and the surrounding area, with or without planning permission.
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 North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire, as used here, includes York, Harrogate, Scarborough, Selby, Northallerton and Ripon, plus Middlesbrough, Redcar and other Teesside towns. Green Belt surrounds York and reaches the Leeds fringe near Harrogate and Selby, while the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks and the Nidderdale and Howardian Hills National Landscapes cover large areas. Typical sites are edge-of-town fields, farm buildings, village infill and Teesside brownfield land.
- 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
Teesside has substantial former industrial land and regeneration areas, while flooding from the Ouse, Foss and Derwent affects York, Selby and nearby villages. The A1(M) and East Coast Main Line corridor through Northallerton and Thirsk, and the Harrogate to York rail line, attract steady interest in housing land.
What decides whether a site in North Yorkshire works
Overlooking
New homes must sit far enough from existing homes to protect privacy.
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.
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.
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 North Yorkshire 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.
Garden and backland plots wanted in towns across North Yorkshire
Choosing how to sell
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 contractOption agreement
You grant us the right to buy within a set period, usually for an option premium, while we pursue planning.
Option agreementFrom first call to completion
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.
Your questions answered
Will selling part of my garden affect my house value?
It can, and the effect varies. We plan the boundary and access to protect your home, and you should take independent advice on the overall position.
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.
Can an agent introduce land in North Yorkshire to you?
Yes. Estate agents, land agents and planning consultants can introduce sites with the owner's consent. Any fee is agreed in writing before details are shared, confirmed by the owner in writing and paid only on completion.
Do I need to pay anything to have land in North Yorkshire assessed?
No. Our appraisal is free and there is no obligation to sell to us.