Specimen 1Devon
Photo: Stags0.22 acres · Freehold
0.22-acre building plot in Tawstock
Lake, Tawstock, Barnstaple
Guide price £165,000
Agent's words, not checkedAgent reports a renewed planning application is awaited.
Stags · checked 5 Oct 2026
A pocket guideFor self-builders and small developers
The plot.marketField Guideto Buying a Plot
Find land with room for your plans. A free, map-first search of UK plots from independent agents, and what to check on each one before you offer.
Edition of 8 Oct 2026114 plots for sale, 33 under offer24 independent agents61 site checks
The plot.market Field GuideContents
Contents
- iHow to use this guideWhat plot.market does, in three stepsiii
- iiPlate I. Anatomy of a plot reportWhat you get on every plotiv
- 1Finding a plotReal plots, the map, and what a parcel outline isn't1
- 2Can I build here?The agent's words against the council's decision notice4
- 3The groundFlood, mining, radon, drainage and services, with a key6
- 4The moneyAn indicative budget, CIL and biodiversity net gain8
- 5Making an offerFour documents, three first steps, one phone call10
- AIndex of checksAll 61 checks and 25 specialist categories11
- BEditions & pricesPrices for buyers, agents and suppliers13
ii
The plot.market Field GuideHow to use this guide
How it worksEach chapter covers one stage of buying a plot and ends where plot.market does the work for you.
- Search the map.
Plots from independent estate and land agents, on one map. Every listing links to the agent's original page and shows the date we last checked it.
- Open a plot.
Four questions answered, an indicative budget for the whole build, the three most urgent steps and the checks that may apply, each with its source.
- Call the agent yourself.
plot.market isn't an estate agent. You contact the selling agent directly; we don't relay enquiries or hold money.
AI explains, reads and drafts. Code and official data decide the facts. Every AI claim cites its source, and everything still works without AI.
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The plot.market Field GuidePlate I
Plate IAnatomy of a plot report
What every plot page on plot.market shows, drawn from a real one: a 0.22-acre building plot at Lake, Tawstock in Devon, listed by Stags, as it read on 8 October 2026.
aPhoto: Stags
Photo: Stags0.22-acre building plot in Tawstock
Lake, Tawstock, Barnstaple
Guide price £165,000
Stags · checked 5 Oct 2026
b
Can I build here?ProblemNo confirmed permission to build yet. Source: Stags.
Any warnings on official maps?Needs checkingSSSI consultation zone and radon at the pin. Source: 23 official maps.
Ground and servicesNeeds checkingSouth West Water, NGED, radon level 4 of 6. Source: 11 official records.
Ready to offer?Needs checking4 documents to get before you offer.
cIndicative budget
£172,061–£185,655
plus 13 items still to be quoted, such as biodiversity net gain, protected habitats mitigation and Section 106
£172,061–£185,655
plus 13 items still to be quoted, such as biodiversity net gain, protected habitats mitigation and Section 106
dStart here · 0 of 3 done
- Get the documents from the agent
- Have a solicitor check the title and access
- Ask what services can connect
eChecks and the buying path
Site checks with specialist categories, and a 29-step checklist for this plot.
fContact
Call Stags · View original listing
You contact the selling agent directly. plot.market does not handle or relay enquiries.
The listing a
From an independent agent, linked to their page, with the date we last checked it.
b Four questions
Each marked Clear, Needs checking or Problem, and labelled with where the answer came from.
Budget c
An indicative budget for the whole build, and what's still to be quoted.
d Start here
The three most urgent steps, with local specialists whose details come from their own sites.
Checks e
61 site checks across 25 specialist categories, and the full buying path.
f The agent
You call the seller's agent. We never field enquiries or hold money.
- aThe listing From an independent agent, linked to their page, with the date we last checked it.
- bFour questions Each marked Clear, Needs checking or Problem, with where the answer came from.
- cBudget An indicative budget for the whole build, and what's still to be quoted.
- dStart here The three most urgent steps, with local specialists.
- eChecks 61 site checks, 25 specialist categories and the buying path.
- fThe agent You call the seller's agent directly.
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Finding a plot
Most plots are sold by small local agents, one listing at a time. Start with all of them on one map, then narrow down to what you could build.
The plot.market Field GuideChapter 1 · Finding a plot
1.1Where the plots are
plot.market brings plots from independent estate and land agents onto one map: 114 for sale and 33 under offer, from 24 agents, as of 5 October 2026.
The South West is strongest. Devon has 79 plots, Somerset 21 and Cornwall 19, and there are 20 counties in all, as far north as Fife and Perthshire. These are plots from independent agents, not every plot in the UK.
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The plot.market Field GuideChapter 1 · Finding a plot
1.2Six plots for sale
Specimens from the snapshot of 5 October 2026, as their agents describe them. Each opens its page on plot.market.
Photo: StagsSpecimen 2Devon
Photo: Stags0.16 acres · Freehold
Building Plot, Templeton, Tiverton
Building Plot, Templeton, Tiverton
Guide price £160,000
Agent's words, not checkedAgent reports planning permission; check the original decision, conditions and current validity. Source reference: 26/00390/full.
Stags · checked 5 Oct 2026
Specimen 3Fife
0.211 acres · Freehold
0.211-acre building plot in Balmullo
Building Plot, Burnside, Balmullo, St. Andrews, KY16 0AW
Offers over £150,000
Agent's words, not checkedAgent reports outline planning permission; see source for conditions and reserved matters. Source reference: 07/02120/EOPP.
Rettie · checked 5 Oct 2026
Specimen 4Derbyshire
Photo: Bagshaws0.073 acres · Freehold
0.073-acre building plot in Crich
Building Plot, New Road, Crich, Crich Matlock, DE4 5BX
£135,000
Agent's words, not checkedAgent reports outline planning permission; see source for conditions and reserved matters. Source reference: AVA/2024/0635.
Bagshaws · checked 5 Oct 2026
Specimen 5Suffolk
Photo: David Burr0.25 acres
0.25-acre building plot in Haverhill
Thurlow, Haverhill, Suffolk
£335,000
Agent's words, not checkedAgent reports outline planning permission; see source for conditions and reserved matters. Source reference: DC/25/0717/OUT.
David Burr · checked 5 Oct 2026
Specimen 6Northumberland
Photo: GFW2.66 acres · Freehold
2.66-acre building plot in Leamington Lane
Self Build Development Opportunity Plot 1, Leamington Lane, Swarland, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE65 9JW.
Guide price £325,000
Agent's words, not checkedAgent reports planning permission; check the original decision, conditions and current validity. Source reference: 21/04163/CLEXIS.
GFW · checked 5 Oct 2026
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The plot.market Field GuideChapter 1 · Finding a plot
1.3Reading the map
Open the map and you'll see four things: listing pins, official registered parcel outlines from HM Land Registry, council planning-site boundaries where we have them, and aerial imagery.
A parcel outline is context. It isn't the land for sale and it isn't a title. The agent's sale plan and the title plan say what you'd be buying (Chapter 5).
- Registered parcel outline (context only)
- Listing pin (approximate)
A fold-out: open it for the whole sheet, 853 metres across.
On plot.market
Every plot on one map, free. Open any one for its report: the four questions, the budget, the first steps and the checks.
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Can I build here?
An agent's description is a claim. The council's decision notice is the record. Read the record.
The plot.market Field GuideChapter 2 · Can I build here?
2.1Two accounts of one plot
Listings say “planning granted” or “outline consent”. That's the agent's summary. What counts is the council's decision notice: what was permitted, the conditions attached, and when the permission runs out.
The agent saysStags
“A renewed planning application is awaited.”Agent's words, not checked
plot.market saysCan I build here?
Problem
No confirmed permission to build yet.
Still needed: the decision notice, approved drawings, conditions and current status, checked against the council record.
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The plot.market Field GuideChapter 2 · Can I build here?
2.2Reading a planning reference
The reference on a listing tells you which decision to look up. The letters at the end usually say what kind of decision it was.
| Reference | What the suffix means |
|---|---|
| DC/25/0717/OUT Thurlow, Suffolk · David Burr | Outline permission. The principle is agreed; the details (reserved matters) still need approval. |
| 1/0823/2024/REM Fairy Cross, Devon · Stags | Reserved matters: the details that follow an outline permission. |
| 20/01808/FULL Goudhurst, Kent · The Land Agency | Full permission for a specific scheme. |
| 19/03630/NMV1 Strathkinness, Fife · Rettie | A non-material variation: a small change to an earlier permission. |
| 21/04163/CLEXIS Swarland, Northumberland · GFW | A certificate of lawfulness for existing development. It can confirm an earlier permission was lawfully started. |
How plot.market reads the notice
- 1The notice
The council's decision notice for the plot, where we have it.
- 2The reading
AI reads it and pulls out what was permitted, the conditions and the expiry.
- 3The quote
Each answer quotes the notice, so you can check it against the source.
- 4The checks
What follows comes from the findings: reserved matters after an outline permission, conditions to discharge before work starts, a permission that expires within 12 months.
On plot.market
“Can I build here?” quotes the agent and, where we have it, the council's decision notice, with the source on every line.
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The ground
What's under and around a plot decides the foundations, the drainage and the cost of getting connected.
The plot.market Field GuideChapter 3 · The ground
3.1Checked at the pin
For every plot, plot.market looks at official maps at the map pin: flood, protected land and mining, then water, power, radon and ground records.
A pin isn't the full plot. A clear result means nothing turned up at that point on those maps; it's a starting point, not a survey.
Field note · what plot.market found at this pin · read 8 Oct 2026
Any warnings on official maps?Needs checking
Found at the map pin: an SSSI consultation zone and radon.
Source: 23 official maps, checked 5 Oct 2026Ground and servicesNeeds checking
Water: South West Water. Power: NGED. Radon level 4 of 6: radon protection is needed for a new home here.
Source: 11 official records, checked 8 Oct 20266
The plot.market Field GuideChapter 3 · The ground
Key 3.2A key to the ground
Work through the couplets for any plot. Each answer sends you to the next question or names the checks you'll need. The names match the index in Appendix A.
- 1aA public sewer can serve the plotGo to 2
- 1bNo public sewer within reachPercolation test for off-mains drainagePackage treatment plant
- 2aIn or near a flood zone, or beside a watercourseSite-specific flood risk assessmentWatercourse permit or consent
- 2bNeitherGo to 3
- 3aOld coal, tin, lead or brine workings in the areaMining search (coalfield, tin, lead, brine)Coal Mining Risk Assessment
- 3bNone recordedGo to 4
- 4aIn a radon-affected areaBasic radon protectionFull radon protection
- 4bNot affectedGo to 5
- 5aTrees near the build on shrinkable clay, or a sloping siteFoundation depth near trees on shrinkable clay (NHBC 4.2)Slope stability assessmentEngineered foundation or slope design
- 5bLevel, and clear of treesGo to 6
- 6aUsed before: yards, fill, workshops, industryContamination desk study (Phase 1)Ground gas monitoring and protection
- 6bA green fieldGo to 7
- 7Nearly every plotNew utility connections (power, water, sewer, gigabit)Electricity network capacity / long runTopographical (and utilities) survey
On plot.market
“Any warnings on official maps?” and “Ground and services” are answered at the pin for every plot, each with the map it came from.
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The money
Budget for the build, not just the plot, and find out early what the council will charge.
The plot.market Field GuideChapter 4 · The money
4.1One plot, costed
Every plot on plot.market has an indicative budget for the whole build. This is the one for Lake, Tawstock, as its page showed it on 8 October 2026.
Indicative budget for the build · Lake, Tawstock · 0.22 acres
£172,061–£185,655
plus 13 items still to be quoted, such as biodiversity net gain, protected habitats mitigation and Section 106 obligations.
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The plot.market Field GuideChapter 4 · The money
4.2Three charges to ask about
Community Infrastructure Levy
Councils in England and Wales that have adopted CIL charge it on new homes. Self-builders can be exempt, but the exemption has to be applied for and granted, and a commencement notice received by the council, before work starts on site. Miss that and the full levy is due. You then have to live in the home as your main residence for at least three years.
Biodiversity net gain
In England, most planning permissions come with a condition to deliver at least a 10% gain in biodiversity value. The rules changed on 6 August 2026: self-build applications made from that date are no longer exempt, and a new exemption covers developments of 0.2 hectares (about half an acre) or less. Which rules apply depends on when the application was made, so check the decision notice.
Section 106
A legal agreement tied to some permissions that can require payments or works. Ask the agent whether one applies and what's still owed.
After you buy: the build
The build brings its own sign-offs. These are in the index too: Building Regulations approval; SAP / Part L energy compliance; Structural warranty (10-year); Demolition and asbestos survey.
On plot.market
An indicative budget for the whole build on every plot, with what's still to be quoted. Plus adds supplier quote requests and AI quote comparison.
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Making an offer
Get four documents before you offer. Then call the agent yourself.
The plot.market Field GuideChapter 5 · Making an offer
Plate 5.1The four documents
- The decision notice
What was permitted, the conditions, and when it expires.
- The sale plan
The land the agent is actually selling, drawn on a plan.
- The title plan
HM Land Registry's plan of the registered title. Compare it with the sale plan.
- The services information
What's connected, or where water, power and drainage would come from.
Start here
Each plot lists the three most urgent steps. For Lake, Tawstock, on 8 October 2026:
- Get the documents from the agentAsk Stags for the decision notice, sale plan, title plan and services information.
- Have a solicitor check the title and accessLocal firms are listed on the plot, with contact details taken from their own sites.
- Ask what services can connectUtility connection specialists are listed the same way.
Contacting the agent
plot.market isn't an estate agent. We don't handle or relay enquiries, negotiate or hold money. Each plot page has the selling agent's details, so you call them yourself: on the Tawstock page, the button says “Call Stags”.
Ready to offer?
The fourth question on every plot, with what to get first. It reads Ready, Needs checking or Under offer. Behind it sits the full buying path: a 29-step checklist for that plot.
- Ready
- Needs checking
- Under offer
For Lake, Tawstock it reads Needs checking: the four documents, and “Ask South West Water and NGED for connection quotes.”
On plot.market
Start here gives the three most urgent steps for each plot, with local specialists whose details come from their own sites.
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Index of checks
All 61 site checks plot.market works from, A to Z, with the page of this guide that covers each one.
The plot.market Field GuideAppendix A · Index of checks
Show all 61 checks, A to Z
- Claimed lawful start: prove it5
- Coal Mining Risk Assessment7
- Common land or town/village green10
- Community Infrastructure Levy (claim self-build exemption before starting)9
- Contamination condition on the permission5
- Contamination desk study (Phase 1)7
- Crane lift constraints (power lines, narrow lane, slope, trees)9
- Demolition and asbestos survey9
- Japanese knotweed7
- Landscape and visual appraisal5
- Package treatment plant7
- Party wall notices10
- Percolation test for off-mains drainage7
- Permission expires within 12 months5
- Permission has lapsed5
- Permission in principle: Technical Details Consent needed5
- Permission may need amending for a modular build5
- Pre-commencement conditions to discharge5
- Preliminary Ecological Appraisal5
- Public right of way across or beside the plot10
- Restrictive covenants and easements on title10
- Unexploded ordnance risk7
- Visibility splays and highways statement10
- Watercourse permit or consent7
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The plot.market Field GuideAppendix A · Specialists
A.225 kinds of specialist
The checks lead to people. On plot.market, specialists are grouped into 25 categories, and their contact details come from their own sites.
- Land & measured surveys
- Utility connections
- Building control
- SAP & energy compliance
- Structural warranty
- Planning consultants
- Architects & designers
- Ecology surveys
- Tree surveys
- Ground investigation & contamination
- Highways & access
- Structural & foundation engineers
- Property solicitors
- Off-mains drainage
- Heritage & archaeology
- Biodiversity & nutrient credits
- Foundation contractors
- Party wall surveyors
- Modular delivery & cranes
- Mining & ground stability
- Flood risk & drainage
- Landscape architects
- Demolition & asbestos
- Radon & gas protection
- Invasive species
For professionals
Surveyors, engineers, solicitors and the rest: classified slots are sold by category and council area, at most three advertisers a slot.
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Editions & prices
Free to search, free to list. Pay only when you're getting serious about a plot.
The plot.market Field GuideAppendix B · Editions
B.1For buyers
PaperbackFree
ClothboundPlus
£19 a month
- Supplier quote requests
- AI quote comparison
- “Send for me” document requests to the agent
- Unlimited collections
- 2 “Ask our team” requests a month
- Report pack included
Cancel any time.
Report packA branded PDF of a plot's report, with sources£19
Ask our teamPer request£39
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The plot.market Field GuideAppendix B · For agents
For estate and land agents
List your land free.
Put your plots on the map at no cost. Each listing links back to your own page, and buyers contact you directly. Already listed? Claim the plots we've found.
Freeto list land
£20Featured plot, per 30 days
£49Agent Pro a month per branch; the first 100 agents get it free for 12 months
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