Sites with lapsed or refused planning wanted in Croydon
We are actively looking for sites with lapsed or refused planning in Croydon and the surrounding area, with or without planning permission.
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- Lapsed, refused or withdrawn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 Croydon
If a scheme near Croydon was refused or ran out of time, the officer's report usually shows what a better application would need. Croydon is in Greater London, about 9 miles south of central London. Nearby places include Purley, Coulsdon and Sutton.
- 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
Outer London, from Romford and Bexley to Uxbridge, Barnet, Croydon and Sutton, contains most of the capital's remaining land opportunities. Around the edge, the Metropolitan Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land protect open space, and a small part of the Kent Downs National Landscape lies in the south-east. Sites usually come forward as small infill plots, garage courts, backland, former commercial buildings and occasional grey belt land on the urban fringe.
What usually makes or breaks it
Reasons for refusal
The wording of each reason tells us what would need to change.
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.
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.
Our base is in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 111 miles away, and we buy land throughout England and Wales.
Choosing how to sell
Outright purchase
We agree a price and buy the land, with no planning condition attached.
Outright purchaseSubject-to-planning contract
The usual route: we make the revised application and complete on success.
Subject-to-planning contractHow 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.
Frequently asked in Greater London
Does a refusal make the land worth less?
It can affect value, but often the reasons can be addressed. Policy may also have changed since the decision.
My permission lapsed years ago. Is it still relevant?
Yes. An old permission shows the principle was once accepted, though current policy now applies.
Can an agent introduce land in Croydon 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 Croydon?
As Croydon 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.
