Selling Land in Worcestershire

• It sits next to, or is well related to, an existing town or village.
• A safe access onto a public road is possible, even if it needs work.
• Most of the land is outside the highest flood risk zone.
• It is not covered by a strong designation such as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
• It is about 2 acres or more, or part of a larger holding.
• Everyone who owns it is willing to consider one clear, agreed price.

If your land does not tick every box, ask anyway. Many of the sites we take on have a problem to solve, whether that is access, drainage, a tenancy or an awkward boundary, and solving those problems is our job.

1. A first conversation. You call us or send the form on this page. We need only your postcode, your name and a phone number or email.
2. A free desktop review. Within a few days we look at your land, the planning position in Worcestershire and the routes open to it, and tell you plainly whether it suits us. The review is free and confidential, with no obligation.
3. Heads of terms and the option agreement. If it suits, we agree a price with you in writing, then the option agreement itself. We contribute to your solicitor's and land agent's fees, so it costs you nothing to get it done properly.
4. The planning work, at our cost. We pay for the surveys, the design, the planning application and any appeal. You carry on farming, grazing or letting the land as you do now.
5. Completion. If planning permission is granted, we complete the purchase and you receive the agreed price on completion. If it is not, you keep your land and owe nothing.

How selling land for development works, step by step gives the detail of each stage and how long it usually takes.

The West Midlands Green Belt

The Green Belt covers most of Bromsgrove, much of Wyre Forest, the land around Redditch and the north of Wychavon near Droitwich. It was drawn to stop Birmingham and the Black Country spreading south and to keep the Worcestershire towns separate. Policy S5 does not apply in the Green Belt, but land that does not strongly contribute to its purposes can be grey belt, where homes need evidence of need, usually a supply under five years or a result under 75%. Bromsgrove and Redditch show that today; Wyre Forest and South Worcestershire do not. Our grey belt guide explains how that is judged.

The Malvern Hills and the Cotswolds

The Malvern Hills National Landscape runs along the western edge of the county, shared with Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. The Cotswolds National Landscape reaches into Wychavon, and the plan's inspectors note that it includes Bredon Hill. Inside either one, major development is only allowed in exceptional circumstances. Land in their setting, especially in views from the Malvern ridge, is assessed carefully.

The Severn and Its Tributaries

The Severn runs the length of the county, through Bewdley, Stourport, Worcester and Upton-upon-Severn, and these places have a long history of flooding. The Teme, the Avon through Evesham and Pershore, and the Stour through Kidderminster add more flood plain. Land in Flood Zones 2 and 3 faces the sequential test. Many farms have their best development land well above the river meadows, and a layout that keeps homes on the higher ground can still work. Our flood risk guide explains the approach.

Worcester Cathedral and Conservation Areas Across the County

Worcester has its cathedral and historic centre, and there are conservation areas in Pershore, Upton, Bewdley, Broadway and many villages. As elsewhere, heritage tends to shape the layout and number of homes rather than stop a scheme outright.

Roads and Rail

The M5 runs north to south past Bromsgrove, Droitwich and Worcester, with the M42 in the north and the M50 branching off in the south. Worcestershire Parkway station opened in 2020 where the Cotswold line crosses the Birmingham to Bristol line. Congestion on the roads into Worcester and school capacity are common issues raised at planning stage.

Selling land in Worcestershire therefore splits into two halves, as the plans do: north of Worcester the Green Belt line usually decides the route, and to the south the Severn flood plain or the setting of the Malvern Hills more often sets the size of a scheme.

The right route depends on which half of the county you are in. In the south the plan has just been settled. In the north the Green Belt decides most things. The main options are:

1. South Worcestershire, the next plan. The March 2026 plan has fixed the main sites, and other land can go into the call for sites for the next one. Our guide to calls for sites explains how.
2. Bromsgrove's new plan. Bromsgrove is carrying out a new Green Belt assessment for its plan. Landowners who put evidence forward now are in a better position when draft sites are chosen.
3. Grey belt. In Bromsgrove and around Redditch, where supply is short, land that does little to stop sprawl or merging may qualify. The Golden Rules on affordable housing, infrastructure and green space apply.
4. Previously developed land. Old yards, poultry units and commercial sites, which national policy supports inside and outside settlements, including in the Green Belt in some cases.
5. Land outside the Green Belt in Bromsgrove or Redditch. Here policy S5 applies. Bromsgrove's low delivery means unmet need is treated as shown, and in Redditch the shortfall is evidence to be weighed.

Worcestershire suits landowners who can be patient in the south and precise in the north. In both cases the planning work is detailed, and under our agreements it is paid for you. See how it works for the full process.