- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 14
- City
- Preston
Getting it right in Lancashire
On a larger garden, the planning outcome can range from one home to several, and fixing a single price in advance would be a guess. Councils in Lancashire weigh density against the character of the street, garden sizes, parking and biodiversity net gain rules, and the answer often emerges only through pre-application advice or the application itself. A price formula linked to the permission actually granted, with a minimum underneath, shares that uncertainty fairly. It is the main reason options suit bigger plots more than small ones.
Planning authorities covering Lancashire include Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, Blackpool Council, Burnley Borough Council, Chorley Council, Fylde Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, Lancaster City Council, Pendle Borough Council, Preston City Council, Ribble Valley Borough Council, Rossendale Borough Council, South Ribble Borough Council, West Lancashire Borough Council, Wyre 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 Lancashire
- Preston
- Burnley
- Blackburn
- Blackpool
- Morecambe
- Lancaster
- Lytham St Annes
- Skelmersdale
- Leyland
- Accrington
- Chorley
- Darwen
- Thornton-Cleveleys
- Nelson, Lancashire
- Fleetwood
- Ormskirk
- Penwortham
- Rawtenstall
- Colne
- Poulton-le-Fylde
- Heysham
- Haslingden
Questions about option agreement in Lancashire
Are my legal fees covered on an option in Lancashire?
Yes. We cover reasonable legal fees for your solicitor on an option agreement, up to a cap agreed in heads of terms. That lets you take proper independent advice on the agreement, which you should always do before granting an option over any part of your land.
Can I sell my house in Lancashire 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 Lancashire?
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 Lancashire?
Yes. We buy suitable garden plots across Lancashire 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.