- Planning authority
- Somerset Council
- Postcodes
- TA6
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.2 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Somerset
How it plays out in Bridgwater
When we look at a garden in TA6 for a possible option, we measure the things that create uncertainty: the width and ownership of the access, the distance to neighbouring windows, the trees and their roots, and the levels across the plot. Those findings decide how long the option period needs to be and what the agreement asks of us.
If access depends on a neighbour, the option holds your plot while we negotiate. If Somerset Council is likely to want a revised scheme, the period allows for it.
The next steps, locally
After your enquiry, we carry out the free appraisal and compare an option with an outright sale and a conditional contract for your plot. If you choose the option, your solicitor reviews the agreement before signing, and once it is in place we start the planning work, share the drawings before submission and keep you updated.
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.
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.
Worth checking early
- With a market value formula, the final price isn’t known until the option is exercised.
- We have the right to buy, not a duty, so a sale isn’t certain even after a long wait.
- Deductions agreed at the start, such as planning costs, reduce what you receive, so check them closely.
Your questions, answered for Bridgwater
Will you cover my legal fees on an option in Bridgwater?
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.
Who decides planning on an option plot in Bridgwater?
The decision belongs to Somerset 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.
Is an option better than selling my Bridgwater 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.
Do I pay Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) if you exercise an option over my Bridgwater 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 Bridgwater
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Sell part of your garden
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Garage courts and yards
- Bungalows on large plots
- Corner and side plots