Sell land with planning permission in Harpenden
If you own land around Harpenden 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.
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
Get an offer for land in Harpenden
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Land around Harpenden
Harpenden lies in Hertfordshire, roughly 11 miles north of Watford. Nearby, we also look at land around St Albans (5 miles), Luton (5 miles) and Hemel Hempstead (6 miles).
Most of the county is Metropolitan Green Belt, which makes land with genuine development prospects scarce and keenly contested.
| Town | Harpenden |
|---|---|
| County | Hertfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | AL5 |
| OS grid square | TL11 |
| Nearest towns we cover | St Albans (5 mi), Luton (5 mi), Hemel Hempstead (6 mi) |
| Distance from Watford | About 11 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 Harpenden a good fit?
- Reserved matters approvals or discharge-of-conditions decisions already in place
- Permissions that are still within their time limit, or have been lawfully started
- Sites with a signed Section 106 agreement we can read
- Lapsed or lapsing permissions, which we can look at renewing
Consented land sells on detail. We read every condition and obligation so our offer is based on the scheme as approved, not on guesswork.
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.
Section 106 and CIL
Affordable housing and financial contributions come straight off what a buyer can pay.
Abnormal costs
Retaining walls, drainage works or contamination add cost beyond a normal build.
Sale values nearby
What similar new homes sell for locally sets the ceiling on value.
Ways to sell this land
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.
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.
What England's rules mean for your land
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.
When the land isn't straightforward
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
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Your title number, if you know it
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
Questions from landowners near Harpenden
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 Harpenden?
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.
Land with planning permission near Harpenden
Other land types and routes
- 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 Harpenden
- Land with planning permission in Hertfordshire
Get a straight answer about your land
Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.