Sell Land Without Planning in Gwent
Land without planning permission in Gwent can still be sold for development. Its value rests on hope, meaning how likely it is that new homes will be allowed. Land to Homes can buy suitable sites as they stand, agree a contract that completes only if planning is granted, or partner with you through an option or promotion agreement.
GwentFree 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
Land we look at around Gwent
Our Gwent coverage takes in 6 towns and cities, centred on Newport and including Ebbw Vale, Caerphilly and Risca. Next door, we also cover South Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan and West Glamorgan.
Around Gwent we look at redundant agricultural buildings, brownfield land in and around Newport and small holdings and pony paddocks. In Wales, where Gwent sits, planning decisions are made by the local planning authority, usually the county or county borough council (or a national park authority).
Tell us where your land is around Gwent and we will explain the routes open to you.
What we offer in Gwent
Hope value explained
Land with no permission but a realistic chance of one is worth more than its current use value, but less than consented land. We explain where your site sits on that scale and why.
Planning funded on promotion
Nothing to pay upfront: on a promotion agreement we fund the planning work, and those costs are recovered from the sale proceeds only if the land sells with planning. The detail is set out in the heads of terms.
Constraints checked first
Flood risk, access, heritage, ecology, protected trees and landscape designations can each decide whether planning is realistic. We look at all of these before discussing any deal or price mechanism with you.
Buying land as it stands
Where we can see a planning route we are prepared to back, we can buy your land as it stands, with no onward chain, subject to survey, title and contract.
Planning and land rules in Gwent
Permission in Principle is not available in Wales, so the usual first step for land near Gwent is an outline planning application, with reserved matters to follow, or a full application. Councils allocate housing sites through their Local Development Plan, and landowners can put land forward as a candidate site when a plan is prepared or reviewed. If your land is not allocated, an option or promotion agreement lets a partner take on the cost of promoting it.
In Wales, new housing outside settlement limits generally depends on the site being included in the council's Local Development Plan, so the candidate site stage of a replacement LDP is often the key window. Planning Policy Wales favours previously developed land first, and phosphate limits in some river catchments can hold up new housing.
| National planning policy | Planning Policy Wales (Edition 12) and Future Wales: the National Plan 2040, supported by Technical Advice Notes |
|---|---|
| Local planning document | Local Development Plan (LDP) |
| Who decides applications | The local planning authority, usually the county or county borough council (or a national park authority) |
| In-principle consent | Outline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later |
| Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer) | Land Transaction Tax (LTT) |
| Land registration | HM Land Registry |
| How a sale becomes binding | As in England, a land sale becomes legally binding on exchange of contracts and finishes on completion, with the title registered at HM Land Registry. |
| Developer contributions | Section 106 planning obligations, plus the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) where the council has adopted it |
Questions about Sell Land Without Planning in Gwent
What is hope value?
Hope value is the extra amount a buyer will pay above a site's existing use value because there is a realistic prospect of planning permission. The stronger the prospect, and the sooner permission could realistically come, the higher the hope value tends to be. It is lower than the value with permission, because the buyer carries the planning risk.
Can I keep using the land while planning is pursued?
Usually, yes. Under options and promotion agreements you normally keep ownership and can carry on using the land, for example for grazing or farming, until it is sold. The agreement sets out access for surveys and any restrictions, such as on granting new long-term tenancies.
What is a subject to planning contract?
It is a contract where both sides commit now, but the sale only completes if a satisfactory planning permission is granted. It sets a longstop date, defines what counts as satisfactory and usually says who controls the application. If permission is not granted by the longstop date, either side can normally withdraw without penalty.
What is a call for sites?
When a council prepares or reviews its development plan, it usually invites landowners and developers to put land forward for consideration. Submitting your site does not mean it will be allocated, but it puts the land in front of the council's planning team. In Wales this is usually called the candidate site process.
Do you buy land in Gwent?
Yes. Land to Homes looks at land across Gwent, including Cwmbran, Ebbw Vale and Pontypool. Every enquiry starts with a free site appraisal, and on option and promotion agreements we pay your reasonable legal fees.
Read more: Sell Land Without Planning · Guide: Overage and clawback: how they work when you sell land