- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 7
- City
- Birmingham
West Midlands: the planning picture
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 the West Midlands 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 the West Midlands include Birmingham City Council, City of Wolverhampton Council, Coventry City Council, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Walsall Metropolitan Borough 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 the West Midlands
- Birmingham
- Coventry
- Wolverhampton
- Dudley
- Walsall
- Solihull
- Sutton Coldfield
- West Bromwich
- Halesowen
- Stourbridge
- Smethwick
- Willenhall
- Tipton
- Bloxwich
- Shirley
- Brierley Hill
- Aldridge
- Wednesbury
- Kingswinford
Questions about option agreement in the West Midlands
Are my legal fees covered on an option in the West Midlands?
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.
How is the price set under a garden plot option in the West Midlands?
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 offer option agreements on garden plots in the West Midlands?
Yes, where an option is the right fit. That usually means plots where planning is uncertain, more land is needed, or the number of homes is genuinely open. For straightforward plots in the West Midlands, an outright sale or a sale subject to planning is often better, and we’ll say so.
Can you build a new home in my garden in the West Midlands for me to keep?
Yes. Through our design and build route we survey your plot, design a new home with you, apply for planning and, once permission is granted, build it. You keep the land and the new home, to sell, let or use for family. You get a written quote after design and survey, and any earlier guide price is a guide only.
Other options in the West Midlands
- Planning promotion for your garden plot in the West Midlands
- Combine gardens with your neighbours in the West Midlands
- Plot feasibility and design in the West Midlands
- Build a new home in your garden in the West Midlands
- Build a home for family in your garden in the West Midlands
- Corner and side plots in the West Midlands