Strategic land wanted in Crewe
Development Land Wanted buys strategic land in Crewe and right across England and Wales. Owners and agents are both welcome.
Strategic land means sites big enough to need long-term promotion, infrastructure and often a local plan allocation. Owners typically keep the land while it is promoted and are paid when planning is secured and the land is sold.

- Size
- 50+ homes
- Planning
- Usually without
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Option or JV
Strategic land we are looking for in Crewe
Larger landholdings on the approaches to Crewe are where strategic land usually comes from, particularly near transport links. Crewe is in Cheshire, about 20 miles east of Chester. Nearby places include Nantwich, Sandbach and Winsford.
- 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
Cheshire's eastern edge rises into the Peak District National Park, and the Dee and Mersey estuaries bring flood and habitat considerations. Former industrial and chemical land around Northwich, Winsford and Runcorn, and village sites near stations on the Crewe and Manchester lines, are typical development opportunities.
Before we make an offer in Crewe
Local plan timing
Strategic sites usually move with the plan cycle, so we look at where the council is in its review.
Infrastructure
Schools, roads, drainage and power capacity shape what a large site must provide.
Land assembly
Larger schemes often need several owners to agree a fair way to share value.
The August 2026 NPPF supports homes within reasonable walking distance (around 800 metres) of well-connected railway stations, with minimum densities of 35 homes per hectare, or 45 near higher-frequency stations.
Some land in Cheshire is designated Green Belt. If your land is within it, it may still qualify as grey belt or previously developed land under national policy, subject to the Golden Rules.
Though we are based in Birmingham (roughly 44 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
We agree a price now and complete once a satisfactory planning permission is granted.
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 agreementHow 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.
Strategic land in Crewe: 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.
Can an agent introduce land in Crewe 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.
Which planning rules apply to land in Crewe?
As Crewe 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.
