Land with planning permission wanted in Barnstaple
We are actively looking for land with planning permission in Barnstaple and the surrounding area, with or without planning permission.
Land with planning permission is a site where the council has already granted consent for new homes, either in outline or in full. We buy consented sites across England and Wales, including those where the owner does not want to build out the scheme.

- Size
- Any number of homes
- Planning
- Outline, full or reserved matters
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Outright or conditional
Land with planning permission we are looking for in Barnstaple
For consented land around Barnstaple, the first things we read are the decision notice, the conditions and any legal agreement attached to the permission. In Devon, Barnstaple sits about 34 miles north-west of Exeter; Bideford and Tiverton are its nearest neighbours on our list.
- Permissions that are close to their time limit to start work
- Consents with a Section 106 agreement or Community Infrastructure Levy liability
- Single plots with consent for one or two homes
- Larger consented schemes where the owner does not want to build
The A30, A38 and M5 corridors and the main line from Exeter to Plymouth carry most of Devon's planned growth, including new communities east of Exeter. In coastal towns, flood risk and coastal change can affect sites, while nutrient neutrality advice has applied in the River Axe catchment on the Dorset border.
What decides whether a site in Barnstaple works
Time limit
Permissions normally have to be started within a set period, so the date the consent expires matters a great deal.
Planning obligations
Section 106 contributions, affordable housing and any Community Infrastructure Levy all affect what the land is worth to a builder.
Title and access
Consent does not cure title problems, so rights of access and covenants still need checking.
The August 2026 NPPF supports homes within reasonable walking distance (around 800 metres) of well-connected railway stations, with minimum densities of 35 homes per hectare, or 45 near higher-frequency stations.
Though we are based in Birmingham (roughly 137 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.
Four ways to sell to us
Outright purchase
The usual route for consented land: an agreed price and a straightforward sale.
Outright purchaseSubject-to-planning contract
Used where a fresh or amended application would improve the scheme.
Subject-to-planning contractOption agreement
Rarely needed once permission exists, but possible for phased sites.
Option agreementThe next steps
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.
Questions owners in Barnstaple ask
Do I need to discharge the conditions before selling?
No. Many sites are sold with conditions still outstanding. We look at what is left to do and allow for it.
Can you buy if the approved scheme is not one you would build?
Yes. Sometimes we buy on the basis of the existing permission and then seek changes through a new or amended application.
How quickly can you look at a site in Barnstaple?
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.
Which planning rules apply to land in Barnstaple?
As Barnstaple 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.
