Sell land without planning permission in Rochester
Whether your land is in Rochester itself or in the villages between Rochester and Chatham, we'll look at it properly before making any offer.
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.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Independent advice encouraged
Selling land near Rochester?
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Where Rochester sits
Our appraisals for Rochester start with the ME1 postcode district and the OS grid square TQ76, then widen out to Chatham, Strood and Gillingham, all within about 2 miles.
Metropolitan Green Belt in the west, the Kent Downs and High Weald National Landscapes, and growth around Ashford, Maidstone and the Medway towns.
| Town | Rochester |
|---|---|
| County | Kent |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | ME1 |
| OS grid square | TQ76 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Chatham (1 mi), Strood (1 mi), Gillingham (2 mi) |
| Distance from Maidstone | About 8 miles north |
| 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 Rochester
- Sites the council has assessed in its land availability study
- 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.
What decides the value of land without planning permission near Rochester
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.
Constraints
Green belt, flood zones, heritage and landscape designations reduce the chance of consent.
Deal structure
Conditional and option deals can pay more because the price is fixed against value with permission.
Choosing how to sell
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.
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
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Any planning applications or letters
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
What people ask us about land without planning permission
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 buy land in Rochester?
Yes. We consider land in and around Rochester and across Kent. 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 Rochester
Other land in Rochester
- 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 Rochester
- Land without planning permission in Kent
Find out what we'd pay for your land near Rochester
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.