Sell a Building for Conversion in Chichester
In England, some offices, shops and barns can become homes through permitted development with prior approval rather than a full planning application. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules. Land to Homes checks which route applies to your building in Chichester and whether its structure, layout and daylight can produce good homes.
Chichester · PO19Free site appraisal
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- 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 Chichester
Chichester (PO19) is one of the West Sussex towns we cover, about 32 miles south-west of Crawley. Close by, our coverage also takes in Bognor Regis, Havant and Littlehampton. Within England, Chichester falls in the South East region.
Sites worth a conversation around Chichester: paddocks on the edge of Chichester, redundant agricultural buildings and corner plots and side gardens. In England, where Chichester 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 Chichester and we will explain the routes open to you.
What you get in Chichester
Heritage handled carefully
Listed buildings need listed building consent for most changes, and conservation areas add design controls. Historic chapels and barns can still convert well when their character is respected.
Building regulations apply
Changing a building to homes brings in building regulations or, in Scotland, a building warrant, covering fire safety, sound insulation, energy efficiency and escape routes. These often drive conversion costs.
Planning route identified
We check whether permitted development with prior approval could apply, or whether a full application, and possibly listed building consent, is needed. The route shapes cost, risk and value.
Direct purchase of buildings
Where a building suits us, we can buy it ourselves, with or without consent, with no onward chain, subject to survey, title and contract. Any offer is set out in writing.
How the rules work in Chichester
Whether a field or large garden could take homes depends mostly on the council's Local Plan and national policy. Under the National Planning Policy Framework, plans define settlement boundaries, and land just outside Chichester may still come forward if it is allocated, previously developed or meets evidenced unmet housing need. Smaller housing schemes can also use Permission in Principle, an England-only route that settles location, use and amount first. Our free appraisal explains which route suits your land.
In England, Class MA allows many buildings in commercial, business and service use to convert to homes through prior approval, and Class Q covers some agricultural buildings. These rights are England-only, carry conditions and exclusions, and can be removed locally by Article 4 directions. New homes must meet national space standards, and pubs need full planning permission.
| Local planning document | Local Plan |
|---|---|
| Who decides applications | The local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority) |
| Land registration | HM Land Registry |
| How a sale becomes binding | A land sale becomes legally binding on exchange of contracts and finishes on completion, after which the buyer registers the title with HM Land Registry. |
Sell a Building for Conversion in Chichester: questions
What makes a building suitable for conversion to homes?
Good natural light, a sensible floor depth, adequate ceiling heights, a sound structure, room for bin and bike stores, and a location where people want to live. Buildings that need major structural work, or whose windows cannot light every habitable room, are harder and more expensive to convert.
What is an asset of community value?
In England, a community group can ask the council to list a building such as a pub or hall as an asset of community value. If a listed asset is put up for sale, a moratorium can give community groups a chance to bid, but it does not force you to sell to them. Scotland has its own community right to buy.
What is Class Q permitted development?
Class Q is an England-only right that can allow agricultural buildings to become homes through prior approval, subject to limits on numbers and floor space and exclusions for listed buildings and some protected areas. The building must be suitable for conversion rather than needing substantial rebuilding. Scotland has a separate, narrower right of its own.
Do pubs need planning permission to convert to homes?
Yes, in most cases. In England, pubs no longer have permitted development rights to change to housing, so a full planning application is needed, and councils usually look for evidence that the pub is no longer viable. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland also normally require full planning permission.
Is Chichester an area you cover for land?
Yes, we cover land in Chichester and elsewhere in West Sussex, including Burgess Hill, Worthing and East Grinstead. Where a site suits us we can buy it directly, or set up an option or promotion agreement. On promotion there is nothing to pay upfront.
Read more: Sell a Building for Conversion · Guide: Selling part of your garden: what you need to know