Sell land without planning permission in Thamesmead
For owners of land without planning permission in and around Thamesmead, 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.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
- Independent advice encouraged
Tell us about your land
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Thamesmead at a glance
Thamesmead lies in Greater London, some 11 miles east of central London. Nearby, we also look at land around Barking (3 miles), Welling (3 miles) and Becontree (3 miles).
Land is scarce and mostly brownfield. The outer boroughs contain Metropolitan Green Belt and metropolitan open land, both closely protected.
| Town | Thamesmead |
|---|---|
| County | Greater London |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | SE28 |
| OS grid square | TQ48 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Barking (3 mi), Welling (3 mi), Becontree (3 mi) |
| Distance from central London | About 11 miles east |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |
Land we're keen to see around Thamesmead
- Land inside or touching a settlement boundary in the local plan
- Former orchards, nurseries and smallholdings
- Land where neighbouring sites have recently gained permission
- Grazing land with no tenancy or with a tenancy that can be ended
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.
What decides the value of land without planning permission near Thamesmead
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.
Constraints
Green belt, flood zones, heritage and landscape designations reduce the chance of consent.
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
Send us the address
A postcode, a plan or a what3words location is enough to start.
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.
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
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
- The address or postcode
- Any planning applications or letters
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- Photos of the land and its access
Your questions answered
Who pays for the planning application?
On subject-to-planning and option deals we normally fund the planning work. On an outright purchase it is our risk and our cost after completion.
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 cover the villages around Thamesmead?
Yes. Villages between Thamesmead, Barking and Welling often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
Other land types and routes
- 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 Thamesmead
- Land without planning permission in Greater London
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.