Strategic land wanted in Bury
We are actively looking for strategic land in Bury and the surrounding area, with or without planning permission.
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 Bury
If you own a substantial holding near Bury, the council's plan timetable will shape when and how it could be promoted. Bury lies about 9 miles north of Manchester in Greater Manchester. We also cover Radcliffe, Heywood, Ramsbottom and the villages between them.
- 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
Greater Manchester is a dense conurbation centred on Manchester and Salford, ringed by towns such as Bolton, Wigan, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Stockport and Altrincham. Green Belt separates many of these towns and covers the moorland fringe, so most housing land is previously developed: former mills, industrial estates, yards and town-centre sites. Grey belt and small edge-of-settlement fields can also come forward on the urban fringe.
Before we make an offer in Bury
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, 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 Greater Manchester 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 74 miles away, and we buy land throughout England and Wales.
Four ways to sell to us
Outright purchase
We agree a price and buy the land, with no planning condition attached.
Outright purchaseSubject-to-planning contract
Possible for the first phase of a larger holding.
Subject-to-planning contractJoint venture
You contribute the land, we fund and manage planning and delivery, and the proceeds are shared as agreed.
Joint ventureHow 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.
Your questions answered
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.
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.
Do you buy strategic land in Bury?
Yes. We buy strategic land in Bury and throughout Greater Manchester, as well as elsewhere in England and Wales. Tell us where the land is and we will give you a free appraisal.
How quickly can you look at a site in Bury?
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.