Strategic land wanted in Worcester
Development Land Wanted buys strategic land in Worcester 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 Worcester the kind we want?
If you own a substantial holding near Worcester, the council's plan timetable will shape when and how it could be promoted. As the county town of Worcestershire, Worcester anchors the area we cover here, along with Droitwich, Great Malvern and Stourport-on-Severn.
- 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
- Sites already being considered by the council
Worcestershire includes Worcester, Redditch, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove, Droitwich, Evesham, Great Malvern and Stourport-on-Severn and many villages. Green Belt covers the north of the county next to the West Midlands conurbation, and the Malvern Hills and Cotswolds National Landscapes cover parts of the west and south. Typical sites include edge-of-town fields, farm buildings, orchards and paddocks, village infill and former industrial land in the towns.
What usually makes or breaks it
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.
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 Worcestershire 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 28 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.
Choosing how to sell
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 contractThe 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.
Your questions answered
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.
Can an agent introduce land in Worcester 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.
Do I need to pay anything to have land in Worcester assessed?
No. Our appraisal is free and there is no obligation to sell to us.