Sell land with planning permission in St Albans
We buy land with planning permission across Hertfordshire. In St Albans, as everywhere, the offer depends on the land itself: its access, its planning prospects and what can sensibly be built.
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.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
Get an offer for land in St Albans
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Where St Albans sits
St Albans (AL1) sits in OS grid square TL10, some 7 miles north of Watford. Sites between here and Harpenden or Hemel Hempstead 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 | St Albans |
|---|---|
| County | Hertfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | AL1 |
| OS grid square | TL10 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Harpenden (5 mi), Hatfield (5 mi), Hemel Hempstead (5 mi) |
| Distance from Watford | About 7 miles north |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |
What we look for around St Albans
- Full or outline permission for one home or more
- Reserved matters approvals or discharge-of-conditions decisions already in place
- Prior approvals for conversions, such as agricultural buildings to homes
- Plots with permission in principle
Consented land sells on detail. We read every condition and obligation so our offer is based on the scheme as approved, not on guesswork.
What affects the price
Type of permission
Full permission carries less risk than outline, which still needs reserved matters approval.
Pre-commencement conditions
Conditions that must be discharged before building starts can add surveys, cost and delay.
Scheme quality
A scheme that is hard to build or sell may need redesigning, which reduces the land value.
Abnormal costs
Retaining walls, drainage works or contamination add cost beyond a normal build.
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.
How a sale works
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode or address and a rough size.
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.
Solicitors complete the sale
Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.
Planning and legal points for land in Hertfordshire
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.
Common problems, and how we handle them
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 Section 106 makes the scheme unviable
If costs have moved since consent, a viability review or a variation may be possible. We will tell you if we think that is realistic.
Useful to send us
- The address or postcode
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- Photos of the land and its access
What people ask us about land with planning permission
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.
Do you pay more for full permission?
Usually, because there is less risk and less work before building can start. How much more depends on the conditions and obligations attached.
Do you buy land in St Albans?
Yes. We consider land in and around St Albans and across Hertfordshire. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.
Also near St Albans
Other land in St Albans
- 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 St Albans
- Land with planning permission in Hertfordshire
Get a straight answer about your land
Send the postcode and a rough size. We'll check the title and planning position and come back to you.