Strategic land wanted in Hertfordshire
Development Land Wanted buys strategic land in Hertfordshire 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
Is your land in Hertfordshire the kind we want?
Hertfordshire is a county of medium-sized towns, including Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, St Albans, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield and Hitchin, with many villages between them. Most of the county lies within the Metropolitan Green Belt and the Chilterns National Landscape covers the west, so grey belt, previously developed land and infill sites are especially important. Larger growth is usually planned as urban extensions and new communities through local plans.
- 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
The M1, A1(M), M25 and several commuter rail lines into London make many Hertfordshire villages well connected to stations, which revised English planning policy treats as a factor in favour of development. Former employment sites, garages, yards and paddocks on town edges are common sources of smaller housing land.
Before we make an offer in Hertfordshire
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.
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.
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.
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.
Some land in Hertfordshire 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.
Parts of Hertfordshire fall within Chilterns National Landscape. Protected landscapes carry strong policy protection, so land in or next to them needs particularly careful assessment.
Ways to sell strategic land in Hertfordshire
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 contractWhat happens after you get in touch
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.
Frequently asked in Hertfordshire
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.
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.
Do you buy strategic land in Hertfordshire?
Yes. We buy strategic land in Hertfordshire and throughout Hertfordshire, as well as elsewhere in England and Wales. Tell us where the land is and we will give you a free appraisal.
Can an agent introduce land in Hertfordshire 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.