Land with planning permission wanted in Sunderland
We are actively looking for land with planning permission in Sunderland and the surrounding area, with or without planning permission.
A site with planning permission already has the council's approval for development, so much of the planning risk has gone. If you have consent but no plans to build, or the permission is approaching its time limit, we would like to hear from you.
- Size
- Any number of homes
- Planning
- Outline, full or reserved matters
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Outright or conditional
Is your land in Sunderland the kind we want?
We are interested in sites with planning across the Sunderland area, including smaller consents that larger housebuilders may pass over. In Tyne and Wear, Sunderland sits about 10 miles south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne; Seaham and Washington are its nearest neighbours on our list.
- Consents with a Section 106 agreement or Community Infrastructure Levy liability
- Sites where some pre-commencement conditions are still to be discharged
- Single plots with consent for one or two homes
- Larger consented schemes where the owner does not want to build
The Tyne and Wear Metro and the East Coast Main Line are a focus for higher-density homes, and riverside regeneration continues along the Tyne and the Wear. The coast is internationally protected for birds, so schemes near the shore often contribute to recreation mitigation, and coal mining legacy checks are common inland.
Before we make an offer in Sunderland
Time limit
Permissions normally have to be started within a set period, so the date the consent expires matters a great deal.
Conditions
Pre-commencement conditions, such as drainage or ecology details, must be dealt with before work can lawfully start.
Planning obligations
Section 106 contributions, affordable housing and any Community Infrastructure Levy all affect what the land is worth to a builder.
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.
We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, around 164 miles from Sunderland, and we travel to see sites across England and Wales.
Ways to sell land with planning permission in Sunderland
Outright purchase
We agree a price and buy the land, with no planning condition attached.
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 agreementFrom first call to completion
Send the basics
A postcode or plan and a few lines about the land are enough to start.
We do the homework
We check planning history, policy, flood maps and access at no cost to you.
We explain the options
You get a written proposal covering price, structure and timing.
Agree and proceed
Once you are happy, solicitors are instructed and the deal moves forward.
Frequently asked in Tyne and Wear
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.
Do you buy land with planning permission in Sunderland?
Yes. We buy land with planning permission in Sunderland and throughout Tyne and Wear, as well as elsewhere in England and Wales. Tell us where the land is and we will give you a free appraisal.
How quickly can you look at a site in Sunderland?
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.