- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 3
- County town
- Bedford
How councils in Bedfordshire look at it
Access is often the reason an option is needed. A garden in Bedfordshire might have plenty of space but no workable way in, unless a neighbour sells a strip or grants a right of way. Negotiating that can take months, and a ransom strip owner can ask for payment. An option holds the plot while we try, and if access can’t be secured, the option ends and you keep your land. Width matters as well as ownership, since the route has to work for cars and bins, and the new home would also need fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough).
Planning authorities covering Bedfordshire include Bedford Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council, Luton Borough Council.
How it works
Free plot appraisal
We look at your title, the access, the planning history and the policies that apply, then tell you honestly whether an option, an outright sale or a conditional contract fits your plot best. It costs you nothing.
Heads of terms
We set out the option period, the price formula and minimum price, any option fee, our planning obligations and the cap on your reasonable legal fees, which we cover. Nothing is binding at this stage.
Sign the option
Your solicitor and ours agree the option agreement and the plan of the plot. Once it is signed, the option is noted on your title, and you carry on living in your house and using the garden as normal.
Planning work
We commission surveys, design the scheme and apply for planning, keeping you updated and showing you the drawings before submission. The council decides; if it refuses, the agreement sets out whether we revise, reapply or appeal.
Exercise or lapse
If an acceptable permission is granted, we serve notice, the price is fixed by the formula and the sale completes in the agreed time. If not, the option lapses, the entry comes off your title and the land stays yours.
Option agreement in towns across Bedfordshire
Questions about option agreement in Bedfordshire
Which councils decide planning on option plots in Bedfordshire?
It depends on where the plot sits. Applications in Bedfordshire go to the council for the address, among them Bedford Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council and Luton Borough Council, and each works to its own Local Plan and the NPPF. During the option period, we submit the application to whichever authority covers your garden and deal with its questions.
Can I sell my house in Bedfordshire while an option runs on the garden?
Yes, but the option stays attached to the land it covers, and your buyer’s solicitor will see it on the title. Tell us early so the two can be handled together. The order of events can also affect Capital Gains Tax, so take advice from a tax adviser.
Are my legal fees covered on an option in Bedfordshire?
Yes. We cover reasonable legal fees for your solicitor on an option agreement, up to a cap agreed in heads of terms. That lets you take proper independent advice on the agreement, which you should always do before granting an option over any part of your land.
Which national rules apply to a new home in Bedfordshire?
Garden schemes here sit under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), with the local detail coming from the council’s Local Plan. New homes must also meet the Building Regulations. That affects things such as fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough). On drainage you’ll usually need a drainage plan the council will want to see, and land purchases fall under Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). We check which rules apply to your plot as part of the free appraisal.