Sell strategic land and large sites in Canterbury
If you want to sell strategic land and large sites in Canterbury, you can deal with the buyer directly. We look at the land, explain what it's worth and why, and leave the decision with you.
Large sites on the edge of towns are where much of the country's new housing ends up. Getting there takes local plan promotion, technical studies and patience, and the deal needs to reflect that.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- No pressure to decide
- Independent advice encouraged
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Where Canterbury sits
From Canterbury, it's 6 miles to Whitstable and 7 miles to Herne Bay. We buy land across that whole stretch of Kent, not only within the town.
Metropolitan Green Belt in the west, the Kent Downs and High Weald National Landscapes, and growth around Ashford, Maidstone and the Medway towns.
| Town | Canterbury |
|---|---|
| County | Kent |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | CT1 |
| OS grid square | TR15 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Whitstable (6 mi), Herne Bay (7 mi), Faversham (9 mi) |
| Distance from Maidstone | About 24 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 Canterbury
- Sites that can be reached from a main road or a new junction
- Land being considered in a local plan review
- Land without major heritage, ecology or flood constraints
- Land where a phased scheme could start on a smaller first phase
Strategic land is a long game. We set out the planning route, who pays for what, and how the final price is worked out before you commit to anything.
What decides the value of strategic land near Canterbury
Local plan timing
A site that can be put forward at the next plan review has a clearer route to permission.
Price mechanism
Options and conditional contracts usually pay a share of market value at the time permission is granted.
Minimum price
A floor price protects you if values fall during a long planning process.
Term length
Longer agreements give more time for planning but tie up your land for longer.
Four routes to a sale
Outright purchase
Rare on unallocated strategic land, but possible at a risk-adjusted price.
Subject-to-planning sale
A fixed or formula price paid once an acceptable permission is granted.
Option agreements
The usual route: an option fee now and a price based on market value later.
Joint ventures
Lets you share in the development value if you can wait for it.
How a sale works
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.
What England's rules mean for your land
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.
Section 106 and CIL
Larger schemes often need a Section 106 agreement for affordable housing or contributions, and councils that have adopted the Community Infrastructure Levy charge it per square metre of new floorspace.
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
Several family members own the land
We can work with all owners and their advisers, and agreements can set out how payments are split.
You are worried about being tied up for years
We agree a term with clear milestones, so the agreement can end if planning stalls.
Useful to send us
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Any planning applications or letters
- Photos of the land and its access
What people ask us about strategic land
What counts as strategic land?
There's no legal definition. In practice it means larger sites, often over five acres, whose route to development runs through the local plan or a major planning application.
Do I pay for planning on strategic land?
Normally not. Under an option or conditional contract the buyer funds planning and technical work, and recovers those costs from the land price only if the agreement allows it.
Should I take independent advice?
Yes. Strategic land agreements are complex and you should have your own solicitor and, ideally, a land agent or surveyor. Some agreements contribute to those costs; we will say up front whether ours does.
Can you visit land near Canterbury?
Yes. Once we've looked at the title and planning position, we arrange a site visit if the land looks suitable. Send the address or postcode to start.
Large strategic sites near Canterbury
Other land in Canterbury
- Development land
- Land with planning permission
- Land without planning permission
- 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 Canterbury
- Large strategic sites in Kent
Find out what we'd pay for your land near Canterbury
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.