Sites with lapsed or refused planning wanted in Bideford
Looking to sell sites with lapsed or refused planning near Bideford? We assess every site on its merits and explain the options in plain English.
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.

- Size
- Any
- Planning
- Lapsed, refused or withdrawn
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Conditional or outright
The sites with lapsed or refused planning that interests us around Bideford
We read the planning history of sites across Bideford closely; a past refusal often points straight to the fix. In Devon, Bideford sits about 36 miles north-west of Exeter; Barnstaple and Tiverton 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
Devon has no Green Belt, but Dartmoor and part of Exmoor National Parks and the East Devon, North Devon, South Devon, Blackdown Hills and Tamar Valley National Landscapes cover a large share of the county. Growth focuses on Exeter, Plymouth, Torbay and the market towns, with many villages beyond. Edge-of-town greenfield land, farm buildings and smaller infill plots are the usual sources of new housing sites.
What decides whether a site in Bideford works
Reasons for refusal
The wording of each reason tells us what would need to change.
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, the revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August 2026 replaced the old "tilted balance" with new settlement policies: development within a settlement should normally be approved unless the harm substantially outweighs the benefits, while land outside a settlement can gain support in defined circumstances.
Devon has no designated Green Belt, so the main policy questions near Bideford are usually the settlement boundary, landscape and access.
We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, around 144 miles from Bideford, and we travel to see sites across England and Wales.
Four ways to sell to us
Outright purchase
We agree a price and buy the land, with no planning condition attached.
Outright purchaseSubject-to-planning contract
We agree a price now and complete once a satisfactory planning permission is granted.
Subject-to-planning contractOption agreement
You grant us the right to buy within a set period, usually for an option premium, while we pursue planning.
Option agreementHow a sale to us works
Get in touch
Tell us where the land is and what you know about it.
Site review
We look at the land, its planning position and anything that could affect it.
Proposal
We put our proposal in writing, with no obligation to accept.
Exchange and completion
If you go ahead, contracts are exchanged and the sale completes on the agreed terms.
Your questions answered
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.
Do you buy sites with lapsed or refused planning in Bideford?
Yes. We buy sites with lapsed or refused planning in Bideford and throughout Devon, as well as elsewhere in England and Wales. Tell us where the land is and we will give you a free appraisal.
Is Bideford too far from our Birmingham base?
No. We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 144 miles from Bideford, and we look at land right across England and Wales.
