Sites with lapsed or refused planning wanted in the West Midlands
If you own sites with lapsed or refused planning in or around the West Midlands, we would like to hear about it. We buy directly and give a free, no-obligation appraisal.
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- Lapsed, refused or withdrawn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 the West Midlands
The West Midlands county is a dense conurbation of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Solihull, Walsall, Dudley and the Black Country towns. Green Belt surrounds and separates parts of the conurbation, including the Meriden Gap between Birmingham and Coventry, so most housing comes from previously developed land: former industrial and canal-side sites, yards, garage courts and town centres. Grey belt and small fringe sites around Sutton Coldfield, Solihull and Aldridge can also come forward.
- Land refused for design, access or technical reasons
- Sites where an appeal was dismissed on specific points
- Withdrawn applications
- Land with an old permission that was never started
Metro tram extensions, the High Speed 2 stations at Curzon Street and Interchange, and suburban rail lines are a focus for higher-density homes. Former industrial land often needs contamination and ground investigation, and the Black Country's mining and limestone legacy means ground stability checks are common.
What usually makes or breaks it
Reasons for refusal
The wording of each reason tells us what would need to change.
Appeal history
An inspector's decision carries weight in future applications.
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.
The Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 introduced Environmental Delivery Plans and a Nature Restoration Levy in England, which over time may offer an alternative to site-by-site mitigation for some environmental issues.
Sites with lapsed or refused planning wanted in towns across the West Midlands
Choosing how to sell
Outright purchase
We agree a price and buy the land, with no planning condition attached.
Outright purchaseSubject-to-planning contract
We agree a price now and complete once a satisfactory planning permission is granted.
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.
Frequently asked in the West Midlands
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.
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 the West Midlands 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 the West Midlands?
As the West Midlands 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.