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Sell development land in East Sussex

We buy development land across East Sussex, including around Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings. You deal with the buyer directly and there's no commission to pay.

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.

  • Free appraisal and written offer
  • No pressure to decide
  • Independent advice encouraged

Get an offer for land in East Sussex

Send the postcode and a rough size.

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

Development land in East Sussex at a glance

Much of the county lies in the South Downs National Park or the High Weald National Landscape, which limits greenfield development outside the towns.

CountyEast Sussex
CountryEngland
Towns we cover here10
Main townBrighton
Example postcode districtsBN2, BN3, BN21, BN25, BN27
Planning systemNational Planning Policy Framework and local plan
Grass field beside the back gardens of a modern housing estate, with a field gate onto the road

Land we're keen to see in East Sussex

  • Land that adjoins an existing town, village or housing estate
  • A safe point of access onto a public road, or a realistic way to create one
  • 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

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 in East Sussex

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.

Ground and drainage

Poor ground, contamination or the need for a pumping station all add build cost that comes off the land price.

Local sale values

The price new homes will sell for nearby sets the ceiling on what the land is worth.

Four routes to a sale

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.

From first call to completion

  1. Send us the address

    A postcode, a plan or a what3words location is enough to start.

  2. We check it properly

    Title, planning history, access, flood maps and local policy.

  3. We put an offer in writing

    It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.

  4. The legal work

    Your solicitor and ours handle the contract through to completion.

Rules that apply in England

Planning framework

Planning decisions in England follow the National Planning Policy Framework, revised in August 2026, and the local plan, prepared by the council or, in a national park, the park authority. Plans are reviewed periodically, which is when new housing sites are usually allocated.

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.

Flood risk

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

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.

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

Your questions answered

How do I know if my land is development land?

Ask three questions: does it sit next to existing homes, can a car get onto it safely from a public road, and is it outside the worst flood risk? If the answer to all three is yes, it is worth an appraisal. We will tell you honestly if we don't think homes are achievable.

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.

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.

Do you buy land in East Sussex?

Yes. We consider land across East Sussex, from Brighton to the smaller towns and villages. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, and we'll tell you either way.

Find out what we'd pay for your land in East Sussex

Send the postcode and a rough size and we'll come back with a straight answer.