Sites with lapsed or refused planning wanted in March
Development Land Wanted buys sites with lapsed or refused planning in March and right across England and Wales. Owners and agents are both welcome.
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.
- Size
- Any
- Planning
- Lapsed, refused or withdrawn
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Conditional or outright
Sites with lapsed or refused planning we are looking for in March
Sites around March with an old refusal can be worth a second look, especially where local or national policy has since changed. In Cambridgeshire, March sits about 24 miles north of Cambridge; Wisbech and Ely are its nearest neighbours on our list.
- Sites where planning permission has expired
- Land refused for design, access or technical reasons
- Sites where an appeal was dismissed on specific points
- Land with an old permission that was never started
Water supply and wastewater capacity have been recurring issues for growth around Cambridge, and Fenland sites usually need careful flood risk evidence. Away from the city, small sites on the edges of villages and market towns along the A14, A10 and A1 corridors are a common source of new housing land.
What decides whether a site in March works
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.
In England, a planning permission normally has to be implemented within three years unless the council sets a different period, and councils aim to decide minor applications within eight weeks and major ones within thirteen.
Some land in Cambridgeshire 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.
Our base is in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 84 miles away, and we buy land throughout England and Wales.
How we could buy your land in March
Subject-to-planning contract
We agree a price now and complete once a satisfactory planning permission is granted.
Subject-to-planning contractJoint 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.
Questions owners in March ask
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.
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.
Can an agent introduce land in March to you?
Yes. Estate agents, land agents and planning consultants can introduce sites with the owner's consent. Any fee is agreed in writing before details are shared, confirmed by the owner in writing and paid only on completion.
How quickly can you look at a site in March?
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.