Sell development land in Bishops Stortford
If you own land around Bishops Stortford 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.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- No pressure to decide
- Independent advice encouraged
Selling land near Bishops Stortford?
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Where Bishops Stortford sits
Bishops Stortford (CM23) sits in OS grid square TL42, about 28 miles north-east of Watford. Sites between here and Harlow or Hertford are just as much of interest to us.
Most of the county is Metropolitan Green Belt, which makes land with genuine development prospects scarce and keenly contested.
| Town | Bishops Stortford |
|---|---|
| County | Hertfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | CM23 |
| OS grid square | TL42 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Harlow (7 mi), Hoddesdon (10 mi), Hertford (11 mi) |
| Distance from Watford | About 28 miles north-east |
| 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 Bishops Stortford
- 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
- Sites from around a quarter of an acre upwards
- 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.
How we arrive at a figure for land in Hertfordshire
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.
Ground and drainage
Poor ground, contamination or the need for a pumping station all add build cost that comes off the land price.
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
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode or address and a rough size.
We check it properly
Title, planning history, access, flood maps and local policy.
We put an offer in writing
It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.
The legal work
Your solicitor and ours handle the contract through to completion.
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.
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 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.
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
- The address or postcode
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
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.
Do you cover the villages around Bishops Stortford?
Yes. Villages between Bishops Stortford, Harlow and Hoddesdon often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
Other land in Bishops Stortford
- 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 Bishops Stortford
- Development land in Hertfordshire
Ready to talk about your land in Bishops Stortford?
Send the postcode and a rough size. We'll check the title and planning position and come back to you.