- Planning authority
- Sevenoaks District Council
- Postcodes
- BR8
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Kent
The local picture in Swanley
Neighbours in BR8 will hear about any application on your plot, and the option agreement can set out how and when that happens. Some owners prefer to talk to adjoining neighbours themselves before plans are public; others are happy for the council’s own notice to do the job.
Either way, we design with neighbours in mind, because privacy, light and the effect of a new access are among the first things Sevenoaks District Council considers. A scheme that answers those concerns in advance usually has a smoother time.
What happens next in Swanley
Here is what happens in Swanley. 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
- 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.
- We have the right to buy, not a duty, so a sale isn’t certain even after a long wait.
Questions about garden plots in Swanley
Will you cover my legal fees on an option in Swanley?
Yes. We cover reasonable legal fees for your own solicitor on an option agreement, up to a cap agreed in heads of terms. Choose a solicitor experienced with development land, and agree the cap with us before they begin, so their fees stay within it.
Could my neighbours in Swanley 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 Sevenoaks District Council is more likely to approve.
Who decides planning on an option plot in Swanley?
The decision belongs to Sevenoaks 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 Swanley 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 Swanley
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Garage courts and yards
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Bungalows on large plots
- Sell subject to planning
- Large rear gardens