Land without planning permission wanted in Downham Market
Development Land Wanted buys land without planning permission in Downham Market 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
What land without planning permission we want near Downham Market
For land on the edges of Downham Market with no consent yet, the first questions are access, flood risk and how the council's current plan treats the area. Sitting about 38 miles west of Norwich, Downham Market is within Norfolk, with King's Lynn and Wisbech close by.
- 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
- Land of any size, including single plots
Norfolk is largely rural, with Norwich, Great Yarmouth, King's Lynn and Thetford and market towns such as Dereham, Diss, North Walsham and Downham Market. There is no Green Belt, but the Norfolk Coast National Landscape and the Broads cover sensitive areas. Nutrient neutrality advice has affected much of the county because of protected sites including the Broads and the River Wensum, so drainage is often a key issue for village and edge-of-town sites.
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.
Where an English council cannot show a five-year supply of housing land, or its Housing Delivery Test result falls below 75%, the August 2026 NPPF can give policy support to suitable housing outside settlement boundaries.
Norfolk has no designated Green Belt, so the main policy questions near Downham Market are usually the settlement boundary, landscape and access.
Though we are based in Birmingham (roughly 96 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across 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
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
You contribute the land, we fund and manage planning and delivery, and the proceeds are shared as agreed.
Joint ventureThe next steps
Send the basics
A postcode or plan and a few lines about the land are enough to start.
We do the homework
We check planning history, policy, flood maps and access at no cost to you.
We explain the options
You get a written proposal covering price, structure and timing.
Agree and proceed
Once you are happy, solicitors are instructed and the deal moves forward.
Frequently asked in Norfolk
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.
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 Downham Market too far from our Birmingham base?
No. We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 96 miles from Downham Market, and we look at land right across England and Wales.
Do I need to pay anything to have land in Downham Market assessed?
No. Our appraisal is free and there is no obligation to sell to us.