Land without planning permission wanted in Risca
Development Land Wanted buys land without planning permission in Risca and right across England and Wales. Owners and agents are both welcome.
Having no planning permission does not rule land out. Many good development sites start as fields or yards with no consent. We look at local policy, access and constraints, then explain the options, including deals where we take on the planning work.

- Size
- Any
- Planning
- None yet
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Conditional, option or JV
The land without planning permission that interests us around Risca
Near Risca, land without planning is worth discussing where it adjoins existing homes or has been put forward to the council's plan. Risca is in Gwent, about 5 miles south-west of Cwmbran. Nearby places include Abercarn, Newbridge and Bedwas.
- Fields and paddocks next to existing settlements
- Land the owner has put forward to a Local Development Plan candidate site process
- Plots within towns and villages that have never been built on
- Land of any size, including single plots
Gwent covers south-east Wales, from Newport, Cwmbran and Pontypool to the valley towns of Ebbw Vale, Tredegar, Blackwood and Caerphilly and the market towns of Abergavenny, Chepstow and Monmouth. Typical sites include former industrial and colliery land, edge-of-town fields and village infill, with green wedges protecting gaps between settlements. Phosphate limits in the Usk and Wye catchments have held back housing in parts of the area, and the Gwent Levels bring flood and habitat constraints.
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.
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.
Welsh planning policy seeks a net benefit for biodiversity rather than using England's statutory biodiversity net gain metric, so ecology is assessed differently on Welsh sites.
Our base is in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 82 miles away, and we buy land throughout England and Wales.
Four ways to sell to us
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
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 ventureThe next steps
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.
Frequently asked in Gwent
Who pays for the planning application?
On a subject-to-planning contract or an option agreement, we normally pay for the application and the reports that go with it. Under an option, agreed costs may later be deducted from the price; any deduction is capped and set out in the heads of terms.
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 an agent introduce land in Risca 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.
How quickly can you look at a site in Risca?
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.
