Sell land without planning permission in Ely
Whether your land is in Ely itself or in the villages between Ely and Mildenhall, we'll look at it properly before making any offer.
Land without planning permission is any land that has no current consent for building. You can still sell it: either outright at a price that reflects its present use and the chance of permission (hope value), or on a conditional or option basis that pays more if permission is granted.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- No pressure to decide
Get an offer for land in Ely
We'll check the title and planning, then call you.
Ely at a glance
Ely lies in Cambridgeshire, some 25 miles south-east of Peterborough. Nearby, we also look at land around Mildenhall (11 miles), Newmarket (12 miles) and March (13 miles).
Flat arable fenland in the north contrasts with a fast-growing Cambridge area in the south, where the Cambridge green belt surrounds the city.
| Town | Ely |
|---|---|
| County | Cambridgeshire |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | CB7 |
| OS grid square | TL58 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Mildenhall (11 mi), Newmarket (12 mi), March (13 mi) |
| Distance from Peterborough | About 25 miles south-east |
| 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 Ely
- Sites the council has assessed in its land availability study
- Land with a road frontage or a clear way to create access
- Former orchards, nurseries and smallholdings
- Grazing land with no tenancy or with a tenancy that can be ended
Without consent, land is valued on its current use plus whatever hope value its location supports. We will explain how much of our offer is each, so you can see what you are being paid for.
What decides the value of land without planning permission near Ely
Hope value
The extra a buyer will pay for the chance of permission, which rises the closer the land is to existing homes.
Local plan position
Land allocated, or close to being allocated, for housing carries far more hope value.
Access and services
Land that is easy to reach and connect is cheaper to promote and build on.
Deal structure
Conditional and option deals can pay more because the price is fixed against value with permission.
Ways to sell this land
Outright purchase
Certainty now, at a price that reflects the planning risk we take on.
Subject-to-planning sale
We exchange contracts now and complete once permission is granted.
Option agreements
We pay for the right to buy later and fund the planning work meanwhile.
Joint ventures
You keep a stake and share in the value planning creates.
How a sale works
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.
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.
Farm tenancies
Agricultural Holdings Act tenancies and farm business tenancies have their own notice and compensation rules, which affect when land can be developed.
When the land isn't straightforward
The council says the land is outside the settlement
Settlement boundaries change when plans are reviewed. We look at the plan timetable and whether the site could be promoted at the next review.
A neighbour objects to everything
Objections are weighed against planning policy, not counted. We judge the scheme on policy grounds.
Useful to send us
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- Any planning applications or letters
- Photos of the land and its access
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
Questions from landowners near Ely
What is hope value?
Hope value is the premium a buyer pays above the current use value because there is a realistic prospect of planning permission. It is higher the more likely and closer that permission is.
What happens if planning is refused?
On a conditional contract or option, if permission is not granted within the agreed period the deal ends and you keep the land. Any option fee paid is usually yours to keep.
Do you buy land in the green belt?
Sometimes. Green belt land is hard to develop, though England's planning policy now recognises 'grey belt' land. We will tell you frankly whether your site has a realistic prospect.
Do you buy land in Ely?
Yes. We consider land in and around Ely and across Cambridgeshire. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.
Land without planning permission near Ely
Other land types and routes
- Development land
- Land with 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 Ely
- Land without planning permission in Cambridgeshire
Find out what we'd pay for your land near Ely
Send the postcode and a rough size. We'll check the title and planning position and come back to you.