0800 088 6248 Get an offer
Land we buyWays to sellAreasGuidesAbout Contact Get an offer

Sell brownfield land in St Albans

Whether your land is in St Albans itself or in the villages between St Albans and Harpenden, we'll look at it properly before making any offer.

Brownfield land, or previously developed land, is land that has had a permanent building or structure on it, together with its surrounding hardstanding. National policy in both England and Wales encourages reusing suitable brownfield land for homes.

  • Figures explained, so you can check them
  • No pressure to decide
  • Independent advice encouraged

Tell us about your land

Free, no-obligation appraisal.

Please enter your name.
Please enter a UK phone number.
Please enter a valid email address.
Please enter a postcode, or at least the first half.
Please tick the box so we can contact you.

Free and no obligation. We're the buyer, so there's no commission.

Land around St Albans

Our appraisals for St Albans start with the AL1 postcode district and the OS grid square TL10, then widen out to Harpenden, Hatfield and Hemel Hempstead, all within about 5 miles.

TownSt Albans
CountyHertfordshire
CountryEngland
Postcode districtAL1
OS grid squareTL10
Nearest towns we coverHarpenden (5 mi), Hatfield (5 mi), Hemel Hempstead (5 mi)
Distance from WatfordAbout 7 miles north
Planning systemNational Planning Policy Framework and local plan
Ways to sellOutright, subject to planning, option or joint venture
Cleared former industrial site with cracked concrete and weeds beside terraced houses

Is your land near St Albans a good fit?

  • Redundant commercial buildings in residential areas
  • Sites next to canals, railways or town centres
  • Land with known or suspected contamination
  • Sites where previous schemes stalled

Brownfield sites often carry baggage: contamination, old foundations, tricky neighbours. They're also some of the best places for new homes, and policy generally supports their reuse.

How we arrive at a figure for land in Hertfordshire

Demolition

Removing buildings and old foundations is a significant cost on many sites.

Brownfield register

Inclusion on the council's brownfield land register can support permission in principle.

Neighbouring uses

Noise or smells from nearby businesses affect design and value.

Viability

Councils may accept lower obligations where clean-up costs are high.

Four routes to a sale

Outright purchase

We take on the site and its problems for an agreed price.

Subject-to-planning sale

We complete once permission is granted for a housing scheme.

Option agreements

Can suit larger brownfield sites with a longer planning route.

Joint ventures

Worth discussing if you want to share in the regeneration value.

How a sale works

  1. Tell us about your land

    Send the postcode or address and a rough size.

  2. We do the homework

    We read the title and planning record and check flood risk and access.

  3. You get a written offer

    With the main figures behind it, so your adviser can check it.

  4. Solicitors complete the sale

    Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.

Planning and legal points for land in Hertfordshire

Section 106 and CIL

Larger schemes often need a Section 106 agreement for affordable housing or contributions, and councils that have adopted the Community Infrastructure Levy charge it per square metre of new floorspace.

Brownfield first

National policy gives substantial weight to reusing suitable brownfield land for homes. Councils keep brownfield land registers, and some sites can gain permission in principle.

Flood risk

Environment Agency flood maps and the sequential test steer new homes away from areas at highest risk of flooding.

When the land isn't straightforward

The buildings are being vandalised

A quick exchange can transfer risk and security responsibility sooner. We'll talk through timing.

A previous buyer pulled out after surveys

We'd like to see any reports. Problems can often be priced rather than walked away from.

Useful to send us

  • A rough size, in acres or hectares
  • A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
  • Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
  • Photos of the land and its access

Questions from landowners near St Albans

Will you buy a site with tenants?

Yes. We look at the leases and how and when vacant possession can be achieved.

What is a brownfield land register?

In England, councils keep a register of brownfield sites they consider suitable for housing. Being on it can help the planning case.

Do I need a contamination report before selling?

No, though any reports you have will help us price more accurately.

Do you buy land in St Albans?

Yes. We consider land in and around St Albans and across Hertfordshire. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.

Also near St Albans

Other land types and routes

Find out what we'd pay for your land near St Albans

Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.

Get an offerCall 0800 088 6248