Sell development land in Formby
Selling development land near Formby doesn't have to start with an agent and a marketing campaign. You can talk to a buyer first and still take independent advice before you decide.
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.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Independent advice encouraged
Selling land near Formby?
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Where Formby sits
Land around Formby falls under England's planning system. The closest towns we also cover are Maghull, 6 miles away, and Southport, 7 miles away, and Liverpool is 11 miles away.
Largely urban, with substantial brownfield land in Liverpool and the surrounding boroughs and green belt around the edges.
| Town | Formby |
|---|---|
| County | Merseyside |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | L37 |
| OS grid square | SD20 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Maghull (6 mi), Southport (7 mi), Bootle (7 mi) |
| Distance from Liverpool | About 11 miles north |
| 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 Formby
- 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
Selling development land well depends on matching the deal to the planning position. With permission in place, an outright sale is usually simplest. Without it, a conditional contract or option can share the planning risk fairly.
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.
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.
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.
What happens next
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.
You get a written offer
With the main figures behind it, so your adviser can check it.
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.
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.
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
- Any planning applications or letters
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- Photos of the land and its access
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
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.
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.
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 Formby?
Yes. Villages between Formby, Maghull and Southport often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
Other land in Formby
- 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 Formby
- Development land in Merseyside
Get a straight answer about your land
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.