Strategic land wanted in Reading
Development Land Wanted buys strategic land in Reading and right across England and Wales. Owners and agents are both welcome.
If you own a large parcel next to a town or village, it could be strategic land. These sites need patience, evidence and a clear plan for infrastructure, and we discuss realistic timescales from the outset.
- Size
- 50+ homes
- Planning
- Usually without
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Option or JV
The strategic land that interests us around Reading
Around Reading, strategic sites tend to be the big fields between the built edge and the main roads, where a whole new neighbourhood could be planned. As the county town of Berkshire, Reading anchors the area we cover here, along with Wokingham, Crowthorne and Yateley.
- Land for 50 or more homes next to a town or larger village
- Sites that could form part of a local plan allocation
- Holdings where neighbouring owners may collaborate
- Land with more than one possible access point
Berkshire is a string of large towns along the Thames Valley, including Reading, Slough, Bracknell, Maidenhead and Wokingham, with Newbury and smaller villages to the west. The east of the county is heavily constrained by the Metropolitan Green Belt, while the west falls partly within the North Wessex Downs National Landscape. Sites that come forward are often brownfield and town-centre land, edge-of-settlement fields and possible grey belt on the Green Belt fringe.
Before we make an offer in Reading
Local plan timing
Strategic sites usually move with the plan cycle, so we look at where the council is in its review.
Land assembly
Larger schemes often need several owners to agree a fair way to share value.
Promotion costs
Technical studies and plan representations cost money; under an option we pay them up front, and any recovery from the price is capped in the heads of terms.
National policy in England now recognises "medium development" of 10 to 49 homes on sites up to 2.5 hectares, and asks councils to allocate at least 10% of their housing on sites of one hectare or less and a further 10% on sites of one to 2.5 hectares.
Parts of Berkshire 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 85 miles away, and we buy land throughout England and Wales.
How we could buy your land in Reading
Outright purchase
Rare before planning; more usual once an allocation or outline consent exists.
Outright purchaseSubject-to-planning contract
Possible for the first phase of a larger holding.
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 agreementJoint venture
You contribute the land, we fund and manage planning and delivery, and the proceeds are shared as agreed.
Joint ventureThe next steps
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.
Strategic land in Reading: common questions
How long does strategic land take?
Often several years, because it may need a local plan allocation and then an outline permission. We are honest about timing for each site.
Do I need to do anything while the land is promoted?
Usually very little beyond signing representations and allowing surveys. You normally keep using the land.
Is Reading too far from our Birmingham base?
No. We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 85 miles from Reading, and we look at land right across England and Wales.
Can an agent introduce land in Reading 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.