Land with planning permission wanted in Durham
Looking to sell land with planning permission near Durham? We assess every site on its merits and explain the options in plain English.
Planning permission turns land into a development site with a defined scheme. We are buyers for consented land of all sizes, from a single approved plot to larger outline permissions, and we review the conditions and legal agreements in detail before making an offer.
- Size
- Any number of homes
- Planning
- Outline, full or reserved matters
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Outright or conditional
What land with planning permission we want near Durham
For consented land around Durham, the first things we read are the decision notice, the conditions and any legal agreement attached to the permission. Durham is the county town of County Durham. Nearby places we also cover include Spennymoor, Chester-le-Street and Houghton-le-Spring.
- Outline permissions, full permissions and approved reserved matters
- Permissions that are close to their time limit to start work
- Consents with a Section 106 agreement or Community Infrastructure Levy liability
- Larger consented schemes where the owner does not want to build
County Durham here includes the Tees Valley towns of Darlington, Stockton-on-Tees and Hartlepool as well as Durham, Chester-le-Street, Consett, Bishop Auckland and the former coalfield villages. Green Belt protects land around Durham and between the Tyne and Wear conurbation and nearby towns, while the North Pennines National Landscape covers the west. Former colliery land, edge-of-village fields and older industrial sites are common sources of housing land.
What decides whether a site in Durham works
Planning obligations
Section 106 contributions, affordable housing and any Community Infrastructure Levy all affect what the land is worth to a builder.
Scheme design
Some approved layouts are hard to build or sell; others can be improved with a fresh application.
Title and access
Consent does not cure title problems, so rights of access and covenants still need checking.
In England, a planning permission normally has to be implemented within three years unless the council sets a different period, and councils aim to decide minor applications within eight weeks and major ones within thirteen.
Our base is in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 155 miles away, and we buy land throughout England and Wales.
Ways to sell land with planning permission in Durham
Outright purchase
We agree a price and buy the land, with no planning condition attached.
Outright purchaseSubject-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 agreementJoint venture
You contribute the land, we fund and manage planning and delivery, and the proceeds are shared as agreed.
Joint ventureFrom first call to completion
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
My permission expires soon. Is it too late?
Not necessarily. Depending on the time left and the conditions, it may be possible to make a lawful start, apply again or vary the scheme. Tell us the expiry date as soon as you can.
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.
Which planning rules apply to land in Durham?
As Durham 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.
Do I need to pay anything to have land in Durham assessed?
No. Our appraisal is free and there is no obligation to sell to us.