Land without planning permission wanted in Dorset
We want to hear from owners of land without planning permission in Dorset. There is nothing to pay us, and you are under no obligation.
Land without planning permission is land that has no current consent for development but may be able to get one. Most of the land we are offered falls into this group, and we assess whether a planning route is realistic before suggesting how a sale could work.
- Size
- Any
- Planning
- None yet
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Conditional, option or JV
Is your land in Dorset the kind we want?
Dorset combines the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole conurbation with market towns such as Dorchester, Wimborne Minster and Ferndown and a large rural area. Green Belt surrounds the conurbation and extends inland, and the Dorset and Cranborne Chase National Landscapes cover much of the countryside. Typical sites include urban brownfield land, edge-of-town fields, farm buildings and infill plots in villages.
- Fields and paddocks next to existing settlements
- Land the owner has put forward to a local plan or call for sites
- Plots within towns and villages that have never been built on
- Land where a previous application was refused for reasons that could be overcome
Heathland protection around the conurbation means many schemes contribute to mitigation for protected heaths, and Poole Harbour has been subject to nutrient neutrality advice. Weymouth, the wider coast and the river valleys add flood and coastal-change checks, while the A31 and A35 corridors link the main towns.
Checks we make on land without planning permission in Dorset
Policy direction
National and local policy decides how a fresh application would be judged, so we read both before advising.
Timescale
Getting permission can take months or years; we are honest about that from the start.
Access and highways
Without a safe access, even well-located land is unlikely to get consent.
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.
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.
Some land in Dorset is designated Green Belt. If your land is within it, it may still qualify as grey belt or previously developed land under national policy, subject to the Golden Rules.
Parts of Dorset fall within Dorset National Landscape and Cranborne Chase National Landscape. Protected landscapes carry strong policy protection, so land in or next to them needs particularly careful assessment.
Land without planning permission wanted in towns across Dorset
How we could buy your land in Dorset
Outright purchase
Possible where we are comfortable taking the planning risk ourselves.
Outright purchaseSubject-to-planning contract
The most common route: we fund the application and complete once permission is granted.
Subject-to-planning contractOption agreement
Suits bigger sites or longer timescales; you are paid a premium and keep the land meanwhile.
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.
Questions owners in Dorset ask
What if planning is refused?
That depends on the deal. Under a conditional contract we can usually decide whether to appeal, re-apply or walk away; if we walk away you keep your land.
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 without planning permission in Dorset?
Yes. We buy land without planning permission in Dorset and throughout Dorset, as well as elsewhere in England and Wales. Tell us where the land is and we will give you a free appraisal.
Can an agent introduce land in Dorset 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.