Sell land without planning permission in Acton
We consider land without planning permission in Acton and across Greater London, from sites close to the W3 postcode district out towards Chiswick and Shepherds Bush.
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.
- Figures explained, so you can check them
- No pressure to decide
- Independent advice encouraged
Selling land near Acton?
We'll check the title and planning, then call you.
Where Acton sits
Acton (W3) sits in OS grid square TQ18, roughly 6 miles west of central London. Sites between here and Chiswick or Willesden are just as much of interest to us.
Land is scarce and mostly brownfield. The outer boroughs contain Metropolitan Green Belt and metropolitan open land, both closely protected.
| Town | Acton |
|---|---|
| County | Greater London |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | W3 |
| OS grid square | TQ18 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Chiswick (1 mi), Shepherds Bush (2 mi), Willesden (2 mi) |
| Distance from central London | About 6 miles west |
| 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 Acton
- Land inside or touching a settlement boundary in the local plan
- 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
If you'd rather not wait for planning, an outright sale gives certainty now. If you can wait, a subject-to-planning or option deal usually pays more in the end.
How we arrive at a figure for land in Greater London
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.
Constraints
Green belt, flood zones, heritage and landscape designations reduce the chance of consent.
Four routes to a sale
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.
From first call to completion
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode or address and a rough size.
We check it properly
Title, planning history, access, flood maps and local policy.
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 Greater London
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.
Awkward details we deal with
A neighbour objects to everything
Objections are weighed against planning policy, not counted. We judge the scheme on policy grounds.
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 rough size, in acres or hectares
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
What people ask us about land without planning permission
Can I sell land without planning permission?
Yes. Land without consent is bought and sold every day. The question is whether you want a lower price now or a higher price later that depends on permission being granted.
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 cover the villages around Acton?
Yes. Villages between Acton, Chiswick and Shepherds Bush often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
More land we buy in Acton
- Development land
- Land with planning permission
- 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 Acton
- Land without planning permission in Greater London
Ready to talk about your land in Acton?
Send the postcode and a rough size. We'll check the title and planning position and come back to you.