Sell land without planning permission in Portland
For owners of land without planning permission in and around Portland, we offer four ways to sell, from a clean outright purchase to deals that pay more once planning is granted.
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.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- No pressure to decide
- Independent advice encouraged
Get an offer for land in Portland
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Where Portland sits
The land we're most interested in near Portland sits on the edge of the built-up area or in the villages towards Weymouth (3 miles) and Dorchester (10 miles).
| Town | Portland |
|---|---|
| County | Dorset |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | DT5 |
| OS grid square | SY67 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Weymouth (3 mi), Dorchester (10 mi), Poole (23 mi) |
| Distance from Bournemouth | About 27 miles south-west |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |
Is your land near Portland a good fit?
- Land inside or touching a settlement boundary in the local plan
- Sites the council has assessed in its land availability study
- Former orchards, nurseries and smallholdings
- Land where neighbouring sites have recently gained permission
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.
How we arrive at a figure for land in Dorset
Current use value
Agricultural or amenity value is the floor under any offer.
Hope value
The extra a buyer will pay for the chance of permission, which rises the closer the land is to existing homes.
Planning history
Past refusals and appeal decisions on the site and its neighbours shape the odds.
Access and services
Land that is easy to reach and connect is cheaper to promote and build on.
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.
What happens next
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.
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.
Farm tenancies
Agricultural Holdings Act tenancies and farm business tenancies have their own notice and compensation rules, which affect when land can be developed.
Common problems, and how we handle them
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.
You don't want to wait years
Then an outright sale at a lower, risk-adjusted price may suit you better, and we will say so.
Useful to send us
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- Photos of the land and its access
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
What people ask us about land without planning permission
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.
Will getting permission myself increase the price?
It can, but applications cost money and carry risk. We can talk through whether it makes sense for you to apply or for us to do it under a contract.
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 Portland?
Yes. We consider land in and around Portland and across Dorset. 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 Portland
More land we buy in Portland
- 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 Portland
- Land without planning permission in Dorset
Find out what we'd pay for your land near Portland
Send the postcode and a rough size. We'll check the title and planning position and come back to you.