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For landowners · Greater London

Sell Brownfield Land in Battersea

Can I sell brownfield land for housing in Battersea?

What a brownfield site in Battersea is worth for homes depends less on its size than on what lies underneath and next door. Our free, no-obligation appraisal looks at former uses, likely ground conditions, flood risk, access and any business tenants, then explains whether a direct sale, conditional contract or promotion suits the site.

Misty paddock at sunrise on the edge of a market town with a church spireBattersea · SW11

Free site appraisal

Tell us about your land and we will call you back. No cost, no obligation.

Prefer to talk? Call 0800 088 6248.

  • Free site appraisalNo cost, no obligation
  • Legal fees coveredReasonable fees, on options and promotion
  • Nothing to pay upfrontOn promotion: we fund planning
  • Direct purchaseSuitable sites, with or without planning
  • UK-wideEngland, Wales, Scotland and NI

Selling land around Battersea

About 3 miles south-west of London, Battersea is part of our Greater London coverage, centred on postcode district SW11. Close by, our coverage also takes in Chelsea, Pimlico and City of Westminster. Battersea is in the London region of England.

Sites worth a conversation around Battersea: corner plots and side gardens, infill gaps along existing streets and backland plots with a workable access. In England, where Battersea sits, planning decisions are made by the local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority).

Tell us where your land is around Battersea and we will explain the routes open to you.

How we work in Battersea

Loss of employment land

Councils may resist losing business land to housing. Policies vary, so we check whether marketing evidence or a viability case is likely to be needed before any application is made.

Tenants and leases

If business tenants remain, their lease terms and any statutory protection affect when the site can be cleared. We review the leases before agreeing timing with you.

Contamination assessed in stages

Ground investigation is usually staged: a desk study of past uses, intrusive sampling if needed, then a remediation strategy and verification. Existing reports save time and cost, so share any you hold.

Direct purchase of brownfield sites

Where a brownfield site suits us, we can buy it ourselves, with or without planning and with no onward chain, subject to survey, title and contract.

Rules that apply in Battersea

In England, most planning applications for new homes in Battersea are decided by the local planning authority, usually the council, using its Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework. Many landowners sell without planning, either outright or through an option or promotion agreement that funds the application first. Land to Homes offers a free site appraisal, pays your reasonable legal fees on option and promotion agreements, and can buy suitable sites directly, subject to survey, title and contract.

In England, councils keep brownfield land registers, and sites on Part 2 of a register can be granted Permission in Principle. The NPPF gives substantial weight to using suitable brownfield land for homes. Contamination is normally handled through planning conditions, following the Environment Agency's land contamination risk management guidance, with Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 as a backstop.

Key rules in Battersea
Local planning documentLocal Plan
Land registrationHM Land Registry
How a sale becomes bindingA land sale becomes legally binding on exchange of contracts and finishes on completion, after which the buyer registers the title with HM Land Registry.
Developer contributionsSection 106 planning obligations, plus the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) where the council charges it

Questions about Sell Brownfield Land in Battersea

What is a sequential test for flood risk?

It is a planning test that steers new development to areas at the lowest risk of flooding. If a site is in a higher-risk area, the applicant may need to show there are no reasonably available sites at lower risk. England applies it through the NPPF; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own flood policies.

Do I need a contamination report before selling?

Not necessarily, but it helps. A desk study of past uses is relatively inexpensive and gives buyers confidence. If you hold older reports, share them. Buyers will usually carry out their own investigations anyway, both as part of their due diligence and because planning conditions often require them.

Is it easier to get planning permission on brownfield land?

Usually it has stronger policy support than greenfield land, because national policy in each UK nation encourages the reuse of previously developed land. Permission is still not automatic: loss of employment land, heritage, flood risk, neighbours and design all matter, and a site in an area protected for business use may still struggle.

Will VAT apply when I sell my brownfield site?

It may. If you have opted to tax the land or buildings, VAT can apply to the sale price. Whether the option can be disapplied depends on what the buyer intends to do with the property, and the rules are technical. Ask your accountant before agreeing a price, because it affects what the buyer pays.

Do you buy land in Battersea?

Yes. Land to Homes looks at land in Battersea and elsewhere in Greater London, including Edmonton, Wallington and Greenford. Every enquiry starts with a free site appraisal, and on option and promotion agreements we pay your reasonable legal fees.

Read more: Sell Brownfield Land · Guide: Green Belt and grey belt land explained

Own land that could take new homes?

Start with a free, no-obligation site appraisal. On option and promotion agreements we fund the planning work and pay your reasonable legal fees.

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