Backland Development
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Garden plot option agreements in Crewe

Options are used on land of all sizes, from farmland to single back gardens. On a garden plot in Crewe, the same principle applies on a smaller scale: you keep the land, we seek planning, and the sale only happens if we choose to buy once a permission we can work with is granted.

Backland Development is new, part of the S&K Group, and we’d rather be judged on the agreement in front of you than on any history. That means clear terms, your reasonable legal fees covered within an agreed cap, and an honest view on whether an option suits your plot at all.

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Legal agreement, pen and a title plan with a garden plot outlined in red on a desk
Planning authority
Cheshire East Council
Postcodes
CW1, CW2
Noon sun, 21 March
About 37°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.7 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Cheshire

Crewe: light, access and policy

During an option on a Crewe plot, most of the work happens with Cheshire East Council, testing the scheme against the council’s Local Plan. We usually start with pre-application advice where it is offered, then commission surveys, prepare the drawings and submit the application, keeping you informed at each step.

The new home must meet the Building Regulations as well as planning, so the design allows from the start for bin collection distances and for 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). If the council refuses, the agreement says whether we revise, reapply or appeal within the option period.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Crewe: about 37 degrees on 21 March and 13 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 37°, shadow 6.7 m21 Dec, noon: sun 13°, shadow 20.9 mExistingNew home
Noon sun in Crewe on 21 March sits about 37° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line (about 5 m) throws a shadow of roughly 6.7 m. In December the sun is only about 13° up and shadows stretch much further. Drawn for a garden facing north, where it matters most.

From first call to decision

To explore an option on your Crewe garden, send us your address and a few details. We check the title, access and planning background, then call you with an honest view. If an option looks right, heads of terms set out the period, the price formula, the minimum price and the cap on your legal fees, which we cover.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

Worth checking early

  • With a market value formula, the final price isn’t known until the option is exercised.
  • Deductions agreed at the start, such as planning costs, reduce what you receive, so check them closely.
  • Your plot is tied up for the option period and can’t be sold to anyone else meanwhile.

Crewe: questions to ask

Who decides planning on an option plot in Crewe?

The decision belongs to Cheshire East Council, which will weigh the scheme against the council’s Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Our job during the option period is to put in the strongest application the plot allows and answer the council’s questions. The agreement sets out what happens if permission is refused.

Is an option better than selling my Crewe garden plot outright?

Not always. An outright sale is quicker and certain once contracts are exchanged. An option suits plots where planning is uncertain or more land is needed, because it gives us time without forcing a guess at the price. Our free appraisal compares the routes for your plot.

Do I pay Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) if you exercise an option over my Crewe plot?

No. Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is paid by the buyer of land, so any amount due on completion falls to us. As the seller, you may have Capital Gains Tax to consider, and options have their own rules on timing, so take advice from a tax adviser before signing.

What happens to my Crewe plot if the option ends?

It stays yours, and the entry on your title is removed. You’re free to keep, sell or develop the land. If a permission was granted before the option ended, it generally stays with the land, though it will need to be started within its time limit.

Other options in Crewe

Option agreement near Crewe

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