- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 10
- City
- St Albans
How councils in Hertfordshire look at it
Some garden schemes in Hertfordshire need a second attempt. A first application may be refused on design grounds that a revised scheme can answer, or an appeal may be worth pursuing. An option can be drafted with that in mind, allowing time for a resubmission or an appeal within the period, or extending it while an appeal is decided. Those provisions should be precise, so you know how long your land could be tied up, and they are a key point for your solicitor to check.
Planning authorities covering Hertfordshire include Broxbourne Borough Council, Dacorum Borough Council, East Hertfordshire District Council, Hertsmere Borough Council, North Hertfordshire District Council, St Albans City and District Council, Stevenage Borough Council, Three Rivers District Council, Watford Borough Council, Welwyn Hatfield 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 Hertfordshire
- Watford
- Hemel Hempstead
- Stevenage
- St Albans
- Welwyn Garden City
- Cheshunt
- Hatfield
- Bishop's Stortford
- Borehamwood
- Hitchin
- Hoddesdon
- Letchworth Garden City
- Harpenden
- Bushey
- Hertford
- Rickmansworth
- Potters Bar
- Berkhamsted
- Ware
- Royston
Questions about option agreement in Hertfordshire
Do you offer option agreements on garden plots in Hertfordshire?
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 Hertfordshire, an outright sale or a sale subject to planning is often better, and we’ll say so.
Can I sell my house in Hertfordshire 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.
How is the price set under a garden plot option in Hertfordshire?
Usually by a formula based on the market value of the plot with the permission actually granted, less deductions agreed at the start, with a minimum price underneath. Some options use a fixed price instead. Either way, the method is written into heads of terms before anything is signed.
Do you buy garden plots in Hertfordshire?
Yes. We buy suitable garden plots across Hertfordshire directly, with or without planning permission, always subject to survey, title and contract. We also offer sales subject to planning, options, planning promotion and joint ventures. Which route fits depends on your plot, so the starting point is a free, no-obligation appraisal.