- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 6
- City
- Worcester
How councils in Worcestershire look at it
Some garden schemes in Worcestershire need a second attempt. A first application may be refused on design grounds that a revised scheme can answer, or an appeal may be worth pursuing. An option can be drafted with that in mind, allowing time for a resubmission or an appeal within the period, or extending it while an appeal is decided. Those provisions should be precise, so you know how long your land could be tied up, and they are a key point for your solicitor to check.
Planning authorities covering Worcestershire include Bromsgrove District Council, Malvern Hills District Council, Redditch Borough Council, Worcester City Council, Wychavon District Council, Wyre Forest District 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 Worcestershire
Questions about option agreement in Worcestershire
Which councils decide planning on option plots in Worcestershire?
It depends on where the plot sits. Applications in Worcestershire go to the council for the address, among them Bromsgrove District Council, Malvern Hills District Council, Redditch Borough Council, Worcester City Council, Wychavon District Council and other councils, and each works to its own Local Plan and the NPPF. During the option period, we submit the application to whichever authority covers your garden and deal with its questions.
Do you offer option agreements on garden plots in Worcestershire?
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 Worcestershire, an outright sale or a sale subject to planning is often better, and we’ll say so.
Are my legal fees covered on an option in Worcestershire?
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.
Which national rules apply to a new home in Worcestershire?
Garden schemes here sit under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), with the local detail coming from the council’s Local Plan. New homes must also meet the Building Regulations. That affects things such as fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough). On drainage you’ll usually need a drainage plan the council will want to see, and land purchases fall under Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). We check which rules apply to your plot as part of the free appraisal.