Small sites wanted in Nelson
If you own small sites in or around Nelson, we would like to hear about it. We buy directly and give a free, no-obligation appraisal.
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 Nelson
In Nelson, small sites are often the leftover pieces: a side garden, an old garage block or a gap where a building once stood. Nelson lies about 21 miles east of Preston in Lancashire. We also cover Colne, Burnley, Accrington and the villages between them.
- Small fields or paddocks next to villages
- Garage blocks and small yards
- Plots with consent for one to nine homes
- Sites where an earlier application can be improved
The Forest of Bowland and Arnside and Silverdale National Landscapes and a small part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park cover the rural north and east. Flood risk on the Fylde coast, the Ribble and the Lune shapes many sites, and the M6, M55 and M65 corridors link the main towns.
What usually makes or breaks it
Design fit
A small scheme has to suit the street and the neighbours.
Affordable housing thresholds
In England affordable housing is usually only sought on schemes of ten or more homes; in Wales many councils seek contributions from smaller sites, sometimes a single home.
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.
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 Lancashire 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.
We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, around 90 miles from Nelson, and we travel to see sites 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 Lancashire
Do small sites need affordable housing?
In England, affordable housing is generally sought on major development of ten or more homes, though some rural areas set lower thresholds. In Wales, many Local Development Plans seek contributions from smaller sites, sometimes from a single home.
Can you buy a single building plot?
Yes. Single plots, with or without consent, are part of what we buy.
Which planning rules apply to land in Nelson?
As Nelson 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 Nelson assessed?
No. Our appraisal is free and there is no obligation to sell to us.