Sites with lapsed or refused planning wanted in Torquay
Development Land Wanted buys sites with lapsed or refused planning in Torquay and right across England and Wales. Owners and agents are both welcome.
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- Lapsed, refused or withdrawn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
Sites with lapsed or refused planning we are looking for in Torquay
We read the planning history of sites across Torquay closely; a past refusal often points straight to the fix. Sitting about 18 miles south of Exeter, Torquay is within Devon, with Paignton and Brixham close by.
- Sites where planning permission has expired
- Sites where an appeal was dismissed on specific points
- Land with an old permission that was never started
- Plots where policy has changed since the last decision
The A30, A38 and M5 corridors and the main line from Exeter to Plymouth carry most of Devon's planned growth, including new communities east of Exeter. In coastal towns, flood risk and coastal change can affect sites, while nutrient neutrality advice has applied in the River Axe catchment on the Dorset border.
What usually makes or breaks it
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.
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.
Though we are based in Birmingham (roughly 160 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.
Ways to sell sites with lapsed or refused planning in Torquay
Subject-to-planning contract
The usual route: we make the revised application and complete on success.
Subject-to-planning contractJoint 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
Tell us about the land
Use the form or call us with the location and a rough outline of the site.
Free appraisal
We review title, planning and constraints and tell you honestly what we think.
Written offer
If the site suits us, we set out an offer and the way we propose to buy.
Solicitors take over
Your solicitor and ours agree the contract; we keep you informed throughout.
Sites with lapsed or refused planning in Torquay: 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.
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 Torquay 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.
Which planning rules apply to land in Torquay?
As Torquay is in England, national policy comes from the National Planning Policy Framework, revised in August 2026. Local policies in the council's development plan also apply.
