Garden and backland plots wanted in Newmarket
We are actively looking for garden and backland plots in Newmarket 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
Garden and backland plots we are looking for in Newmarket
Backland development in Newmarket turns on access and privacy; we look at both before suggesting whether an application is worth making. Newmarket is in Suffolk, about 34 miles west of Ipswich. Nearby places include Haverhill, Ely and Cambridge.
- 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
- Sites with or without previous applications
Many coastal and estuary schemes contribute to recreational disturbance mitigation for protected birds, and flood risk matters along the estuaries. The A14 and A12 corridors, the Port of Felixstowe and the Ipswich area attract the most interest in larger housing land.
What decides whether a site in Newmarket works
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.
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.
Our base is in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 100 miles away, and we buy land throughout England and Wales.
Ways to sell garden and backland plots in Newmarket
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 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 Newmarket too far from our Birmingham base?
No. We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 100 miles from Newmarket, and we look at land right across England and Wales.
Which planning rules apply to land in Newmarket?
As Newmarket 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.