Small sites wanted in St Austell
Development Land Wanted buys small sites in St Austell and right across England and Wales. Owners and agents are both welcome.
A small site is usually land for fewer than ten homes, such as a corner plot, a side garden or a small field. Larger housebuilders often overlook them, but small sites are exactly the kind of land we want across England and Wales.
- Size
- About 1 to 9 homes
- Planning
- With or without
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Outright or conditional
The small sites that interests us around St Austell
Small sites in and around St Austell are central to what we look for, from corner plots to the odd field on the edge of a nearby village. St Austell is in Cornwall, about 13 miles north-east of Truro. Nearby places include Bodmin, Truro and Newquay.
- Corner plots and side gardens with road frontage
- Small fields or paddocks next to villages
- Garage blocks and small yards
- Land within or touching a settlement boundary
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.
What decides whether a site in St Austell works
Access
Even small sites need a safe access and parking.
BNG (England)
From 6 August 2026 non-major sites of 0.2 ha or less are generally exempt from mandatory BNG unless priority habitat is affected.
Drainage
Sustainable drainage and sewer connections can still be significant on small sites.
Since 6 August 2026, non-major development on sites of 0.2 hectares or less in England has generally been exempt from mandatory biodiversity net gain, unless priority habitat is affected. That makes many small sites simpler to bring forward.
Cornwall has no designated Green Belt, so the main policy questions near St Austell are usually the settlement boundary, landscape and access.
Though we are based in Birmingham (roughly 196 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.
Choosing how to sell
Subject-to-planning contract
Popular for small plots: you only sell once permission is granted.
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 Cornwall
Why do larger developers ignore small sites?
Large builders tend to focus on bigger schemes that suit their overheads. Small sites need a different approach, which is why we actively look for them.
How quickly can you give a view?
For a small site with a clear plan and photos, we can usually say quickly whether it is worth pursuing and how.
How quickly can you look at a site in St Austell?
For most sites we can give an initial view once we have the location and a plan. Detailed checks follow if the land looks suitable.
Which planning rules apply to land in St Austell?
As St Austell 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.