Sites with lapsed or refused planning wanted in Plymouth
If you own sites with lapsed or refused planning in or around Plymouth, we would like to hear about it. We buy directly and give a free, no-obligation appraisal.
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- Lapsed, refused or withdrawn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
The sites with lapsed or refused planning that interests us around Plymouth
Sites around Plymouth with an old refusal can be worth a second look, especially where local or national policy has since changed. Sitting about 36 miles south-west of Exeter, Plymouth is within Devon, with Saltash and Paignton close by.
- Sites where planning permission has expired
- Land refused for design, access or technical reasons
- Land with an old permission that was never started
- Plots where policy has changed since the last decision
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 Plymouth works
Reasons for refusal
The wording of each reason tells us what would need to change.
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.
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 Plymouth are usually the settlement boundary, landscape and access.
Though we are based in Birmingham (roughly 179 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.
Ways to sell sites with lapsed or refused planning in Plymouth
Subject-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 agreementFrom 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.
Questions owners in Plymouth 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.
My permission lapsed years ago. Is it still relevant?
Yes. An old permission shows the principle was once accepted, though current policy now applies.
Is Plymouth too far from our Birmingham base?
No. We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 179 miles from Plymouth, and we look at land right across England and Wales.
Can an agent introduce land in Plymouth 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.