Sites with lapsed or refused planning wanted
Land where permission ran out or an application was turned down. England and Wales.
A site with lapsed or refused planning has been through the system before without a build starting. That history is useful: it shows what the council liked and what it did not. We buy such sites and look at whether a revised scheme could succeed.
- Size
- Any
- Planning
- Lapsed, refused or withdrawn
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Conditional or outright
What sites with lapsed or refused planning do we want?
If your permission expired or an application was refused, the land may still be developable. A refusal often comes down to design, access or a specific technical issue that can be addressed in a new application.
- Sites where planning permission has expired
- Land refused for design, access or technical reasons
- Sites where an appeal was dismissed on specific points
- Withdrawn applications
- Land with an old permission that was never started
- Plots where policy has changed since the last decision
What decides whether a site works?
Land with a lapsed consent or a refusal is not a dead end. We read the decision, the officer's report and any appeal history to judge whether a fresh approach could work.
Reasons for refusal
The wording of each reason tells us what would need to change.
Policy changes
National and local policy may have moved since the last decision, for better or worse.
Appeal history
An inspector's decision carries weight in future applications.
Technical work
Some refusals turn on drainage, highways or ecology evidence that can be improved.
Time since decision
The longer ago the decision, the more the context may have changed.
Is it different in England and Wales?
England. 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.
Wales. In parts of Wales where Welsh is widely spoken, councils may consider the effect of new housing on the Welsh language when preparing plans and deciding applications.
What should I have ready?
None of this is essential to get started, but it helps us give a firmer view sooner:
- The decision notice and officer's report
- Any appeal decision
- The refused or lapsed drawings
- Correspondence with the council
How we buy
Ways to sell sites with lapsed or refused planning to us
Subject-to-planning contract
The usual route: we make the revised application and complete on success.
Subject-to-planning contractWhere
Sites with lapsed or refused planning wanted by area
Choose your county to see what we look for locally and the towns we cover.
England
- Bedfordshire
- Berkshire
- Bristol
- Buckinghamshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Cheshire
- Cornwall
- County Durham
- Cumbria
- Derbyshire
- Devon
- Dorset
- The East Riding of Yorkshire
- East Sussex
- Essex
- Gloucestershire
- Greater London
- Greater Manchester
- Hampshire
- Herefordshire
- Hertfordshire
- The Isle of Wight
- Kent
- Lancashire
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Merseyside
- Norfolk
- North Yorkshire
- Northamptonshire
- Northumberland
- Nottinghamshire
- Oxfordshire
- Rutland
- Shropshire
- Somerset
- South Yorkshire
- Staffordshire
- Suffolk
- Surrey
- Tyne and Wear
- Warwickshire
- The West Midlands
- West Sussex
- West Yorkshire
- Wiltshire
- Worcestershire
Wales
What happens next
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.
Questions
Sites with lapsed or refused planning: common questions
My application was refused. Should I appeal or re-apply?
It depends on the reasons and time limits. Sometimes a revised application is better than an appeal. We look at the decision and say what we would do.
Does a refusal make the land worth less?
It can affect value, but often the reasons can be addressed. Policy may also have changed since the decision.
My permission lapsed years ago. Is it still relevant?
Yes. An old permission shows the principle was once accepted, though current policy now applies.
How do you decide if a site is worth another attempt?
We look at the reasons for refusal, any appeal, current policy and the technical evidence, then give a straight view.