Sites with lapsed or refused planning wanted in St Albans
If you own sites with lapsed or refused planning in or around St Albans, 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- Lapsed, refused or withdrawn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 St Albans
If a scheme near St Albans was refused or ran out of time, the officer's report usually shows what a better application would need. St Albans lies about 11 miles west of Hertford in Hertfordshire. We also cover Harpenden, Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead and the villages between them.
- Sites where planning permission has expired
- Land refused for design, access or technical reasons
- Withdrawn applications
- Plots where policy has changed since the last decision
The M1, A1(M), M25 and several commuter rail lines into London make many Hertfordshire villages well connected to stations, which revised English planning policy treats as a factor in favour of development. Former employment sites, garages, yards and paddocks on town edges are common sources of smaller housing land.
Checks we make on sites with lapsed or refused planning in St Albans
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.
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.
Parts of Hertfordshire are Green Belt, though not every town has any nearby. We check early whether a site is inside it and, if so, whether a grey belt or previously developed land case could apply.
Though we are based in Birmingham (roughly 87 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.
Four ways to sell to us
Subject-to-planning contract
We agree a price now and complete once a satisfactory planning permission is granted.
Subject-to-planning contractHow a sale to us works
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.
Frequently asked in Hertfordshire
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.
Which planning rules apply to land in St Albans?
As St Albans 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.
Do I need to pay anything to have land in St Albans assessed?
No. Our appraisal is free and there is no obligation to sell to us.