Sell development land in St Austell
Thinking about whether to sell development land in St Austell? A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and how we got there, with no obligation to go further.
Development land is land where new homes or other buildings could realistically be built, either because it already has planning permission or because its location makes permission a reasonable prospect. We buy development land across England and Wales directly from the owner, so there is no agent's commission to pay.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
- No pressure to decide
Get an offer for land in St Austell
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
St Austell at a glance
St Austell lies in Cornwall, roughly 13 miles north-east of Truro. Nearby, we also look at land around Bodmin (9 miles), Truro (13 miles) and Newquay (14 miles).
A mostly rural county with much of its coast inside the Cornwall National Landscape. New homes are concentrated in and around the main towns.
| Town | St Austell |
|---|---|
| County | Cornwall |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | PL25 |
| OS grid square | SX05 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Bodmin (9 mi), Truro (13 mi), Newquay (14 mi) |
| Distance from Truro | About 13 miles north-east |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |
What we look for around St Austell
- Land that adjoins an existing town, village or housing estate
- Sites from around a quarter of an acre upwards
- Sites allocated, or put forward, in the local plan
- Land with a planning history we can build on, even if earlier applications were refused
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.
What decides the value of development land near St Austell
Planning status
Land with an implementable permission is worth far more than land with none, because the biggest risk has gone.
Access
A frontage onto an adopted road removes cost and uncertainty; a third party controlling access can cut value sharply.
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.
Choosing how to sell
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 check it properly
Title, planning history, access, flood maps and local policy.
You get a written offer
With the main figures behind it, so your adviser can check it.
Solicitors complete the sale
Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.
Rules that apply in England
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.
Biodiversity net gain
Under the Environment Act 2021, most developments in England must deliver at least a 10% gain in biodiversity. Since 6 August 2026, sites of 0.2 hectares or less are exempt unless priority habitat is affected.
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.
Awkward details we deal with
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.
Part of the field floods
We map the flood zones and look at whether homes can sit on the drier part, with the rest used as open space.
Useful to send us
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Your title number, if you know it
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
Your questions answered
Do you buy development land without planning permission?
Yes. Without permission we usually buy on a subject-to-planning contract or an option, so the price reflects value with permission rather than farmland value. If you need a quick, unconditional sale, we can also make an outright offer that reflects the planning risk.
Will I pay any fees to you?
No. We are the buyer, not an agent, so there is no commission. You will normally pay your own solicitor unless we agree otherwise in writing.
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.
Do you cover the villages around St Austell?
Yes. Villages between St Austell, Bodmin and Truro often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
More land we buy in St Austell
- Land with planning permission
- Land without planning permission
- Large strategic sites
- 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 St Austell
- Development land in Cornwall
Get a straight answer about your land
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.