- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 2
- County town
- Dorchester
What to know in Dorset
Local plans change over time. Councils in Dorset review their policies, and a review can alter settlement boundaries, allocate sites or adopt new guidance on garden development. An option gives time to work with that cycle rather than against it, which is one reason options are used where the current policy position under the council’s Local Plan is finely balanced. It isn’t a reason to sign a long option on a simple plot, though. The period should match the planning task, and the agreement should say what we must do within it.
Planning authorities covering Dorset include BCP Council, Dorset 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 Dorset
Questions about option agreement in Dorset
Do you offer option agreements on garden plots in Dorset?
Yes, where an option is the right fit. That usually means plots where planning is uncertain, more land is needed, or the number of homes is genuinely open. For straightforward plots in Dorset, an outright sale or a sale subject to planning is often better, and we’ll say so.
What is the difference between an option and a conditional contract in Dorset?
Under a conditional contract, both sides are bound from exchange and the sale completes if a satisfactory permission is granted. Under an option, you are bound to sell if we choose to buy, but we aren’t obliged to. Options suit less certain plots; conditional contracts suit clearer ones.
Can I sell my house in Dorset 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.
Do I need my own solicitor to sell a plot in Dorset?
Yes, always. Your solicitor checks the contract, deals with the transfer of part at HM Land Registry and asks your mortgage lender to release the plot if the house is mortgaged. On option and promotion agreements we cover your reasonable legal fees, with the cap agreed in heads of terms before work starts.