Sites with lapsed or refused planning wanted in Ware
Development Land Wanted buys sites with lapsed or refused planning in Ware and right across England and Wales. Owners and agents are both welcome.
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- Lapsed, refused or withdrawn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
Sites with lapsed or refused planning we are looking for in Ware
Sites around Ware with an old refusal can be worth a second look, especially where local or national policy has since changed. Ware lies about 2 miles north-east of Hertford in Hertfordshire. We also cover Hertford, Hoddesdon, Harlow and the villages between them.
- Land refused for design, access or technical reasons
- 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
Hertfordshire is a county of medium-sized towns, including Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, St Albans, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield and Hitchin, with many villages between them. Most of the county lies within the Metropolitan Green Belt and the Chilterns National Landscape covers the west, so grey belt, previously developed land and infill sites are especially important. Larger growth is usually planned as urban extensions and new communities through local plans.
Before we make an offer in Ware
Policy changes
National and local policy may have moved since the last decision, for better or worse.
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.
Our base is in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 95 miles away, and we buy land throughout England and Wales.
How we could buy your land in Ware
Subject-to-planning contract
The usual route: we make the revised application and complete on success.
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 agreementWhat happens after you get in touch
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.
Sites with lapsed or refused planning in Ware: 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.
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 Ware too far from our Birmingham base?
No. We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 95 miles from Ware, and we look at land right across England and Wales.
Can an agent introduce land in Ware 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.
