Sell development land in Chester
If you want to sell development land in Chester, you can deal with the buyer directly. We look at the land, explain what it's worth and why, and leave the decision with you.
If you own a field or site on the edge of a settlement, you may be sitting on land a homebuilder wants. We look at the planning history, access and services, then tell you plainly whether we can make an offer and on what basis.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- No pressure to decide
- Independent advice encouraged
Selling land near Chester?
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Where Chester sits
Chester (CH1) sits in OS grid square SJ46, about 19 miles south-west of Warrington. Sites between here and Hawarden or Ellesmere Port are just as much of interest to us.
Dairy farmland and market towns, with green belt separating Cheshire's towns from the Merseyside and Manchester conurbations.
| Town | Chester |
|---|---|
| County | Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | CH1 |
| OS grid square | SJ46 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Hawarden (6 mi), Deeside (6 mi), Ellesmere Port (6 mi) |
| Distance from Warrington | About 19 miles south-west |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |

Land we're keen to see around Chester
- Land that adjoins an existing town, village or housing estate
- Land outside the highest-risk flood zones, or where flood risk can be designed out
- Sites allocated, or put forward, in the local plan
- Land with a planning history we can build on, even if earlier applications were refused
Most development land starts life as an ordinary field. What makes it valuable is where it sits: next to existing homes, close to a road, inside or near a settlement boundary. We assess those things first and give you a straight answer.
What decides the value of development land near Chester
Access
A frontage onto an adopted road removes cost and uncertainty; a third party controlling access can cut value sharply.
Number of homes
Value follows how many homes the site can sensibly take once roads, open space and drainage are fitted in.
Planning obligations
Affordable housing, Section 106 contributions and, in some areas, CIL reduce what a buyer can pay for the land.
Ecology and trees
Protected species, ancient hedgerows and tree preservation orders can reduce the developable area.
Ways to sell this land
Outright purchase
Best where permission is already granted and the title is clean.
Subject-to-planning sale
Lets you lock in a price now that is paid once we secure permission.
Option agreements
Suits larger fields where the planning route may take several years.
Joint ventures
Worth discussing if you want a share of the finished development value.
From first call to completion
Send us the address
A postcode, a plan or a what3words location is enough to start.
We do the homework
We read the title and planning record and check flood risk and access.
We put an offer in writing
It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.
Solicitors complete the sale
Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.
What England's rules mean for your land
Green belt and grey belt
Green belt land is protected from inappropriate development. National policy in England also recognises 'grey belt': green belt land that doesn't strongly contribute to key green belt purposes, where housing can be acceptable if further tests are met.
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.
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 site has been refused planning before
A refusal tells us what the council objected to. We read the decision notice and judge whether a different scheme could answer it.
The access is over someone else's land
We check the title for rights of way and, where needed, factor in the cost of buying or negotiating access.
Useful to send us
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- Your title number, if you know it
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- Photos of the land and its access
Common questions
What size of site do you buy?
We look at sites from around a quarter of an acre for a single plot up to large fields on the edge of towns. Size matters less than location, access and planning prospects.
How long does it take to sell development land?
With permission and clean title, a sale can move as fast as the solicitors can complete the legal work. Without permission, timing depends on the planning process, which commonly takes many months and sometimes years for larger sites.
Should I get my own valuation?
We recommend it. An independent RICS valuer or land agent can tell you whether our offer is fair, and you are under no obligation to accept.
Can you visit land near Chester?
Yes. Once we've looked at the title and planning position, we arrange a site visit if the land looks suitable. Send the address or postcode to start.
Other land types and routes
- Land with planning permission
- Land without planning permission
- Large strategic sites
- Green belt and grey belt land
- Land for affordable homes
- Farmland and agricultural land
- Paddocks and equestrian land
- Barns and rural buildings
- Building plots
- Garden land and backland
- Infill plots and gap sites
- Small sites
- Garage sites
- Brownfield land
- Redundant commercial and industrial land
- Inherited and probate land
- Landlocked land and access problems
- Outright purchase
- Subject-to-planning sale
- Option agreements
- Joint ventures
- All land in Chester
- Development land in Cheshire
Get a straight answer about your land
Send the postcode and a rough size. We'll check the title and planning position and come back to you.