Sites with lapsed or refused planning wanted in Braintree
We want to hear from owners of sites with lapsed or refused planning in Braintree. There is nothing to pay us, and you are under no obligation.
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- Lapsed, refused or withdrawn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 we want near Braintree
We read the planning history of sites across Braintree closely; a past refusal often points straight to the fix. Braintree lies about 10 miles north of Chelmsford in Essex. We also cover Witham, Chelmsford, Maldon and the villages between them.
- Land refused for design, access or technical reasons
- Sites where an appeal was dismissed on specific points
- Withdrawn applications
- Plots where policy has changed since the last decision
The Thames estuary, the Blackwater and the Colne bring flood risk and coastal habitat considerations, and many coastal schemes contribute to recreational disturbance mitigation for protected birds. The A12, A120 and Great Eastern Main Line corridors, and the Dedham Vale and Suffolk and Essex Coast and Heaths National Landscapes in the north, shape where growth goes.
Before we make an offer in Braintree
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.
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.
Some land in Essex 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 114 miles away, and we buy land throughout England and Wales.
How we could buy your land in Braintree
Subject-to-planning contract
The usual route: we make the revised application and complete on success.
Subject-to-planning contractThe next steps
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 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 Braintree too far from our Birmingham base?
No. We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 114 miles from Braintree, and we look at land right across England and Wales.
How quickly can you look at a site in Braintree?
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.