Strategic land wanted in St Ives
Looking to sell strategic land near St Ives? We assess every site on its merits and explain the options in plain English.
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
Is your land in St Ives the kind we want?
Around St Ives, strategic sites tend to be the big fields between the built edge and the main roads, where a whole new neighbourhood could be planned. Sitting about 12 miles north-west of Cambridge, St Ives is within Cambridgeshire, with Huntingdon and St Neots close by.
- Land for 50 or more homes next to a town or larger village
- Land near railway stations or good bus routes
- Holdings where neighbouring owners may collaborate
- Sites already being considered by the council
Water supply and wastewater capacity have been recurring issues for growth around Cambridge, and Fenland sites usually need careful flood risk evidence. Away from the city, small sites on the edges of villages and market towns along the A14, A10 and A1 corridors are a common source of new housing land.
What decides whether a site in St Ives works
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.
In England, a planning permission normally has to be implemented within three years unless the council sets a different period, and councils aim to decide minor applications within eight weeks and major ones within thirteen.
Parts of Cambridgeshire 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.
Though we are based in Birmingham (roughly 79 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.
Choosing how to sell
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 contractHow a sale to us works
Send the basics
A postcode or plan and a few lines about the land are enough to start.
We do the homework
We check planning history, policy, flood maps and access at no cost to you.
We explain the options
You get a written proposal covering price, structure and timing.
Agree and proceed
Once you are happy, solicitors are instructed and the deal moves forward.
Your questions answered
What if my neighbours own part of the best site?
We can help bring owners together under an equalisation arrangement so value is shared fairly, whoever ends up with the roads or open space.
Will I be paid anything before planning?
Under an option, owners are usually paid a premium on signing, with the main payment when the land is sold after planning.
Is St Ives too far from our Birmingham base?
No. We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 79 miles from St Ives, and we look at land right across England and Wales.
How quickly can you look at a site in St Ives?
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.