Residential development land wanted in Cornwall
We are actively looking for residential development land in Cornwall and the surrounding area, with or without planning permission.
Residential development land means a site with a credible route to new homes. Planning permission is not essential: much of the land we want has none yet. What matters is location, access and whether local policy could support housing in the next few years.
- Size
- Any — single plots to 50+ homes
- Planning
- With or without
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- All four
The residential development land that interests us around Cornwall
Cornwall has no Green Belt, but landscape designation is extensive: the Cornwall National Landscape covers large stretches of coast and countryside, alongside the Tamar Valley and Isles of Scilly National Landscapes. Settlements are dispersed, from Truro, Camborne, Redruth and St Austell to many small coastal and inland villages. Sites coming forward are often edge-of-settlement fields, farm buildings, former mining and china clay land, and rural exception sites for local needs.
- Land next to or within an existing town, village or suburb
- Land outside the highest flood risk zones, or where flood risk only affects part of the site
- Sites with or without planning permission, including land promoted in a local plan
- Single plots, small sites, medium sites and larger strategic land
Second-home and holiday-let pressure has led to principal residence policies in some Cornish neighbourhood plans, and nutrient neutrality advice has applied in the River Camel catchment. Former mining land around Camborne and Redruth needs mining risk checks, while the A30 corridor towns attract more mainstream housing growth.
What decides whether a site in Cornwall works
Settlement boundary
Land inside or touching a defined settlement usually has a clearer policy route than isolated land.
Access
A safe vehicle access with adequate visibility is often the single biggest make-or-break item.
Flood risk
We check the official flood maps early; land in the highest-risk zones is rarely suitable for homes.
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.
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.
Cornwall has no designated Green Belt, so the main policy questions near Cornwall are usually the settlement boundary, landscape and access.
Parts of Cornwall fall within Cornwall National Landscape, Tamar Valley National Landscape and Isles of Scilly National Landscape. Protected landscapes carry strong policy protection, so land in or next to them needs particularly careful assessment.
Ways to sell residential development land in Cornwall
Outright purchase
Best where planning is already granted or the route to it is clear.
Outright purchaseSubject-to-planning contract
Common for land without planning: we agree a price now and complete once a suitable permission is granted.
Subject-to-planning contractOption agreement
Suits larger or longer-term land where planning may take several years.
Option agreementFrom first call to completion
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.
Questions owners in Cornwall ask
Does my land need planning permission before you will look at it?
No. Most residential land we are asked about has no planning yet. We look at policy, access and constraints and tell you whether we think a permission is realistic, and which way of selling suits the risk.
How small a site do you consider?
We look at single building plots as well as larger sites. Small sites can be very worthwhile, particularly infill land within towns and villages.
Do you buy residential development land in Cornwall?
Yes. We buy residential development land in Cornwall and throughout Cornwall, as well as elsewhere in England and Wales. Tell us where the land is and we will give you a free appraisal.
Can an agent introduce land in Cornwall 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.