- Planning authority
- Three Rivers District Council
- Postcodes
- WD3
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Hertfordshire
What shapes a plot in Rickmansworth
Light can decide the size of the scheme an option leads to. Take the figures for Rickmansworth: a midday sun of about 38° in late March means a wall rising 5 m to the eaves shades roughly 6.3 m of ground behind it, and with the December sun near 15°, that shade grows considerably.
Those figures help explain why a plot that could take two homes in one layout might take only one in another. Under a price formula, that difference flows through to the price, which is one reason options suit plots where the outcome is open.
The next steps, locally
Here is what happens in Rickmansworth. A conversation first, then a desk check, then a visit if the plot looks promising. We put proposed terms in writing, without obligation, and you take advice on them with your legal fees covered within the agreed cap. Nothing is binding until you sign the option agreement itself, and the appraisal costs nothing.
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.
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.
Worth checking early
- Options have their own Capital Gains Tax treatment, so take advice from a tax adviser before signing.
- 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.
Your questions, answered for Rickmansworth
Could my neighbours in Rickmansworth be part of the same option scheme?
Yes. Where neighbouring gardens together would make a better scheme, each owner can grant an option on their own land, and an agreement between the owners can share the outcome fairly. It needs careful drafting and everyone’s agreement, and it often produces a scheme Three Rivers District Council is more likely to approve.
How long would an option on my Rickmansworth garden last?
The period is agreed at the start and should match the planning task: long enough for surveys, an application and, where sensible, a revised scheme or appeal, but no longer. On a single garden it is usually much shorter than on farmland. Any extension should be tied to specific events.
Who decides planning on an option plot in Rickmansworth?
The decision belongs to Three Rivers District 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.
Do I pay Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) if you exercise an option over my Rickmansworth 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.
Other options in Rickmansworth
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Large rear gardens
- Sell subject to planning
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Sell part of your garden
- Plot feasibility and design