Land without planning permission wanted in Godalming
Development Land Wanted buys land without planning permission in Godalming and right across England and Wales. Owners and agents are both welcome.
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 Godalming
Near Godalming, land without planning is worth discussing where it adjoins existing homes or has been put forward to the council's plan. Godalming lies about 4 miles south-west of Guildford in Surrey. We also cover Guildford, Haslemere, Aldershot and the villages between them.
- 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
Surrey is a county of commuter towns, including Woking, Guildford, Epsom, Reigate, Redhill, Camberley, Staines-upon-Thames and Farnham, and many villages. Most of the county is Metropolitan Green Belt, and the Surrey Hills and High Weald National Landscapes cover much of the south. Previously developed land, infill plots, garden and backland sites and grey belt are therefore central to housing supply, with larger sites usually allocated through local plans.
What usually makes or breaks it
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.
Your involvement
You can sell now, sell subject to planning, or grant an option; each asks a different amount of you.
The August 2026 NPPF supports homes within reasonable walking distance (around 800 metres) of well-connected railway stations, with minimum densities of 35 homes per hectare, or 45 near higher-frequency stations.
Some land in Surrey 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.
Though we are based in Birmingham (roughly 109 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.
Choosing how to sell
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 ventureFrom first call to completion
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.
Land without planning permission in Godalming: common questions
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.
Do you buy land with no planning outright?
Sometimes. If we are confident about the planning route we can buy outright, which gives you certainty sooner but reflects the risk we take on.
Is Godalming too far from our Birmingham base?
No. We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 109 miles from Godalming, and we look at land right across England and Wales.
How quickly can you look at a site in Godalming?
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.
