Land without planning permission wanted in St Albans
Looking to sell land without planning permission near St Albans? We assess every site on its merits and explain the options in plain English.
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
The land without planning permission that interests us around St Albans
For land on the edges of St Albans with no consent yet, the first questions are access, flood risk and how the council's current plan treats the area. Sitting about 11 miles west of Hertford, St Albans is within Hertfordshire, with Harpenden and Hatfield close by.
- Land the owner has put forward to a local plan or call for sites
- Land where a previous application was refused for reasons that could be overcome
- Sites with a road frontage or a realistic access
- Land of any size, including single plots
Hertfordshire is a county of medium-sized towns, including Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, St Albans, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield and Hitchin, with many villages between them. Most of the county lies within the Metropolitan Green Belt and the Chilterns National Landscape covers the west, so grey belt, previously developed land and infill sites are especially important. Larger growth is usually planned as urban extensions and new communities through local plans.
Checks we make on land without planning permission in St Albans
Policy direction
National and local policy decides how a fresh application would be judged, so we read both before advising.
Who pays for planning
Applications, surveys and reports cost money; on conditional and option deals we normally pay for them up front, and any costs deducted from the price are agreed and capped.
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.
Some land in Hertfordshire 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.
We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, around 87 miles from St Albans, and we travel to see sites across England and Wales.
Ways to sell land without planning permission in St Albans
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 ventureFrom first call to completion
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.
Frequently asked in Hertfordshire
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.
Is St Albans too far from our Birmingham base?
No. We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 87 miles from St Albans, and we look at land right across England and Wales.
Which planning rules apply to land in St Albans?
As St Albans 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.