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Sell land without planning permission in Greater Manchester

Owners of land without planning permission in Greater Manchester can sell directly to us, whether the land is near Manchester, Oldham and Wigan or in the villages between.

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.

  • Free appraisal and written offer
  • Figures explained, so you can check them
  • No pressure to decide

Get an offer for land in Greater Manchester

Send the postcode and a rough size.

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Free and no obligation. We're the buyer, so there's no commission.

Land without planning permission in Greater Manchester at a glance

A dense urban core where most new homes are on brownfield land, with green belt on the edges climbing towards the Pennines.

CountyGreater Manchester
CountryEngland
Towns we cover here41
Main townManchester
Example postcode districtsBL1, BL4, BL5, BL9, M1
Planning systemNational Planning Policy Framework and local plan
Rolling pasture field seen over a galvanised five-bar gate with an oak tree beyond

What makes land without planning permission in Greater Manchester worth an offer

  • Fields and paddocks on the edge of settlements
  • 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

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 Greater Manchester

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.

Deal structure

Conditional and option deals can pay more because the price is fixed against value with permission.

Choosing how to sell

Most land for sale has no planning permission. That does not stop a sale; it changes how the deal should be structured so the planning risk is shared sensibly.

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

  1. Tell us about your land

    Send the postcode or address and a rough size.

  2. We do the homework

    We read the title and planning record and check flood risk and access.

  3. We put an offer in writing

    It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.

  4. 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.

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

  • The address or postcode
  • Your title number, if you know it
  • Any planning applications or letters
  • Photos of the land and its access

Questions from landowners in Greater Manchester

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.

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.

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 Greater Manchester?

Yes. We consider land across Greater Manchester, from Manchester to the smaller towns and villages. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, and we'll tell you either way.

Land without planning permission by town in Greater Manchester

Nearby counties

Find out what we'd pay for your land in Greater Manchester

Send the postcode and a rough size and we'll come back with a straight answer.

Get an offerCall 0800 088 6248