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Sell development land in Braintree

If you own land around Braintree and want a straight answer about it, we'll tell you whether we can buy it, on what terms, and what the offer is based on.

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.

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

Selling land near Braintree?

Free, no-obligation appraisal.

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

Land around Braintree

Land around Braintree falls under England's planning system. The closest towns we also cover are Witham, 7 miles away, and Chelmsford, 10 miles away, and Southend-on-Sea is 25 miles away.

Metropolitan Green Belt covers the south and west of the county, while mid and north Essex have larger areas of farmland around growing towns.

TownBraintree
CountyEssex
CountryEngland
Postcode districtCM7
OS grid squareTL72
Nearest towns we coverWitham (7 mi), Chelmsford (10 mi), Maldon (11 mi)
Distance from Southend-on-SeaAbout 25 miles north
Planning systemNational Planning Policy Framework and local plan
Ways to sellOutright, subject to planning, option or joint venture
Grass field beside the back gardens of a modern housing estate, with a field gate onto the road

What we look for around Braintree

  • 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.

The things that move our offer

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.

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.

How a sale works

  1. Tell us about your land

    Send the postcode or address and a rough size.

  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. Solicitors complete the sale

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

Planning and legal points for land in Essex

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.

Common problems, and how we handle them

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 rough size, in acres or hectares
  • A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
  • Your title number, if you know it
  • How soon you'd ideally like to sell

What people ask us about development land

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.

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.

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.

How do I get an offer for land in Braintree?

Use the form on this page or call 0800 088 6248. Tell us the postcode, the rough size and anything you know about planning, and we'll come back to you.

Nearby towns

Other land types and routes

Ready to talk about your land in Braintree?

A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.

Get an offerCall 0800 088 6248