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Garden plot option agreements in Bootle

Options are used on land of all sizes, from farmland to single back gardens. On a garden plot in Bootle, the same principle applies on a smaller scale: you keep the land, we seek planning, and the sale only happens if we choose to buy once a permission we can work with is granted.

Backland Development is new, part of the S&K Group, and we’d rather be judged on the agreement in front of you than on any history. That means clear terms, your reasonable legal fees covered within an agreed cap, and an honest view on whether an option suits your plot at all.

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Legal agreement, pen and a title plan with a garden plot outlined in red on a desk
Planning authority
Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
Postcodes
L20, L22
Noon sun, 21 March
About 37°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.7 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Merseyside

Bootle: light, access and policy

Garden plots rarely sit alone. Where several long gardens run side by side, whether in Bootle, in nearby Litherland, Crosby and Wallasey or anywhere else, a scheme across two or three of them can be much stronger than one squeezed into a single plot.

Options are a common way to bring those gardens together. Each owner grants an option on their own land, and an agreement between the owners can share the outcome fairly, even though only one garden provides the access. Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council would then consider one well-planned scheme instead of several piecemeal ones.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Bootle: about 37 degrees on 21 March and 13 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 37°, shadow 6.7 m21 Dec, noon: sun 13°, shadow 21.5 mExistingNew home
Noon sun in Bootle on 21 March sits about 37° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line (about 5 m) throws a shadow of roughly 6.7 m. In December the sun is only about 13° up and shadows stretch much further. Drawn for a garden facing north, where it matters most.

How we’d take it forward in Bootle

The first stage, from enquiry to heads of terms, usually takes a few weeks. Agreeing and signing the option itself often takes a few months more, depending on how quickly both solicitors work and whether the title raises questions. The planning work then runs within the option period, at a pace set by surveys, pre-application advice and the decision time at Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.
  • Options have their own Capital Gains Tax treatment, so take advice from a tax adviser before signing.

Bootle: questions to ask

Do I pay Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) if you exercise an option over my Bootle 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.

Is an option better than selling my Bootle garden plot outright?

Not always. An outright sale is quicker and certain once contracts are exchanged. An option suits plots where planning is uncertain or more land is needed, because it gives us time without forcing a guess at the price. Our free appraisal compares the routes for your plot.

Who decides planning on an option plot in Bootle?

The decision belongs to Sefton Metropolitan Borough 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 still own my garden in Bootle during an option?

Yes. An option is a right to buy, not a sale, so the land stays yours until we exercise the option and the sale completes. You carry on using the garden, and the option is noted on your title so the plot can’t be sold elsewhere while it runs.

Other options in Bootle

Option agreement near Bootle

Find out what your garden could become

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