Land without planning permission wanted in Accrington
We are actively looking for land without planning permission in Accrington and the surrounding area, with or without planning permission.
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 Accrington
For land on the edges of Accrington with no consent yet, the first questions are access, flood risk and how the council's current plan treats the area. Accrington lies about 14 miles east of Preston in Lancashire. We also cover Haslingden, Rawtenstall, Blackburn and the villages between them.
- 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
Lancashire includes Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Blackpool and Lancaster alongside the Fylde coast resorts, the East Lancashire mill towns and many rural villages. Green Belt covers much of the south and east, between the Merseyside and Greater Manchester conurbations, and smaller areas around Blackpool and Lancaster. Former mill and industrial land, edge-of-town fields and village infill are the usual sources of housing land, with grey belt now relevant on parts of the urban fringe.
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.
Your involvement
You can sell now, sell subject to planning, or grant an option; each asks a different amount of you.
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.
Parts of Lancashire 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 85 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.
Ways to sell land without planning permission in Accrington
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
You contribute the land, we fund and manage planning and delivery, and the proceeds are shared as agreed.
Joint ventureFrom first call to completion
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.
Your questions answered
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 Accrington too far from our Birmingham base?
No. We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 85 miles from Accrington, and we look at land right across England and Wales.
Which planning rules apply to land in Accrington?
As Accrington 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.