Sell land with planning permission in Colchester
For owners of land with planning permission in and around Colchester, we offer four ways to sell, from a clean outright purchase to deals that pay more once planning is granted.
Land with planning permission has consent from the local planning authority to build a specific development, either in outline (the principle) or in full (the detailed design). We buy consented sites directly, check the permission and its conditions, and make an offer you can accept without marketing the land.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
Tell us about your land
We'll check the title and planning, then call you.
Where Colchester sits
The land we're most interested in near Colchester sits on the edge of the built-up area or in the villages towards Sudbury (13 miles) and Clacton-on-Sea (13 miles).
| Town | Colchester |
|---|---|
| County | Essex |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | CO1 |
| OS grid square | TL92 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Sudbury (13 mi), Clacton-on-Sea (13 mi), Witham (13 mi) |
| Distance from Southend-on-Sea | About 26 miles north |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |
Is your land near Colchester a good fit?
- Reserved matters approvals or discharge-of-conditions decisions already in place
- Sites with a signed Section 106 agreement we can read
- Prior approvals for conversions, such as agricultural buildings to homes
- Plots with permission in principle
A site with a live planning permission is the simplest land to sell. The main questions are whether the permission is still valid, what its conditions require and how much the Section 106 agreement costs to deliver.
The things that move our offer
Time left on the permission
A permission close to expiry may need a quick start or a fresh application, and that affects price.
Pre-commencement conditions
Conditions that must be discharged before building starts can add surveys, cost and delay.
Section 106 and CIL
Affordable housing and financial contributions come straight off what a buyer can pay.
Scheme quality
A scheme that is hard to build or sell may need redesigning, which reduces the land value.
Four routes to a sale
Outright purchase
The usual route for consented land: agree a price, then exchange and complete.
Subject-to-planning sale
Useful if you want us to improve or renew the permission before completion.
Option agreements
Rarely needed once consent exists, but can suit phased sites.
Joint ventures
An option if you would like a share of the profit from building the homes.
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.
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.
Agricultural buildings (Class Q)
In England, Class Q permitted development can allow some agricultural buildings to become homes through prior approval, within limits on size and number of homes.
Awkward details we deal with
The permission is about to expire
In England a full permission normally lasts three years and in Wales five. We check whether a lawful start has been made or whether a new application is the better route.
The conditions look onerous
Some conditions are routine and some are expensive. We price each one so you can see what is driving the offer.
Useful to send us
- The address or postcode
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Your title number, if you know it
- Any planning applications or letters
Common questions
How long does planning permission last?
In England, full planning permission usually requires work to start within three years, and in Wales within five, unless the decision notice says otherwise. Outline permissions have separate time limits for reserved matters. The decision notice sets out the exact dates.
Can you buy if I only have outline permission?
Yes. We will price the reserved matters work and the risk that the detailed design changes the number or type of homes.
Can you exchange quickly on a consented site?
Often, yes, because the planning question is answered. The pace then depends on title, searches and how quickly both solicitors work.
How do I get an offer for land in Colchester?
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.
More land we buy in Colchester
- Development land
- 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 Colchester
- Land with planning permission in Essex
Get a straight answer about your land
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.