Land without planning permission wanted in Ely
Development Land Wanted buys land without planning permission in Ely and right across England and Wales. Owners and agents are both welcome.
If your land has never had planning permission, it can still be development land. We check whether housing is credible under current policy and, where it is, propose a deal that shares out the planning risk fairly.
- Size
- Any
- Planning
- None yet
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Conditional, option or JV
The land without planning permission that interests us around Ely
For land on the edges of Ely with no consent yet, the first questions are access, flood risk and how the council's current plan treats the area. Sitting about 15 miles north-east of Cambridge, Ely is within Cambridgeshire, with Newmarket and March close by.
- Fields and paddocks next to existing settlements
- Plots within towns and villages that have never been built on
- Sites with a road frontage or a realistic access
- Land of any size, including single plots
Water supply and wastewater capacity have been recurring issues for growth around Cambridge, and Fenland sites usually need careful flood risk evidence. Away from the city, small sites on the edges of villages and market towns along the A14, A10 and A1 corridors are a common source of new housing land.
What usually makes or breaks it
Policy direction
National and local policy decides how a fresh application would be judged, so we read both before advising.
Access and highways
Without a safe access, even well-located land is unlikely to get consent.
Your involvement
You can sell now, sell subject to planning, or grant an option; each asks a different amount of you.
In England, the revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August 2026 replaced the old "tilted balance" with new settlement policies: development within a settlement should normally be approved unless the harm substantially outweighs the benefits, while land outside a settlement can gain support in defined circumstances.
Parts of Cambridgeshire 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.
Though we are based in Birmingham (roughly 92 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.
How we could buy your land in Ely
Outright purchase
Possible where we are comfortable taking the planning risk ourselves.
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
For owners who want a bigger share of the upside in return for more risk.
Joint ventureHow a sale to us works
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.
Land without planning permission in Ely: common questions
Can I keep using the land while planning is sought?
Usually, yes. Farming, grazing or other current uses can generally continue until completion, subject to what we agree.
Do you buy land with no planning outright?
Sometimes. If we are confident about the planning route we can buy outright, which gives you certainty sooner but reflects the risk we take on.
Can an agent introduce land in Ely 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.
Which planning rules apply to land in Ely?
As Ely 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.