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Devon: the planning picture
Pre-application advice can save months on a garden plot. Many councils offer it, usually for a fee, and a written response from a planning officer shows early whether the principle of a new home is acceptable and what the council wants changed. On a conditional sale we normally arrange and fund this before submitting. It isn’t binding on the council, and it doesn’t replace the formal application, but it often shapes the drawings, and it helps both sides judge whether the long-stop date gives enough room.
Planning authorities covering Devon include East Devon District Council, Exeter City Council, Mid Devon District Council, North Devon Council, Plymouth City Council, South Hams District Council, Teignbridge District Council, Torbay Council, Torridge District Council, West Devon Borough Council.
How it works
Free plot appraisal
We check your title, access, planning history and local policy from our desk, then talk it through with you. If a new home looks realistic, we visit the garden and tell you which route we think suits it best.
Heads of terms
We set out the price or price formula, what counts as satisfactory permission, the long-stop date, how any planning costs are treated and who pays which fees. You see all of it before instructing a solicitor.
Exchange of conditional contracts
Both solicitors agree the contract and the plan of the plot. On exchange, both sides are bound, subject to the planning condition, and our contract is noted on your title so the plot can’t be sold elsewhere.
Planning application
We commission the surveys, prepare the drawings, seek pre-application advice where useful and submit the application, normally at our cost. You see the plans before they go in, and the council makes the decision.
Completion, or you keep your land
Once a satisfactory permission is granted and any challenge period has passed, the sale completes within the agreed time and the plot gets its own title. If permission is refused and the contract ends, the land stays yours.
Subject to planning in towns across Devon
- Plymouth
- Exeter
- Paignton
- Torquay
- Newton Abbot
- Exmouth
- Barnstaple
- Bideford
- Tiverton
- Brixham
- Teignmouth
- Tavistock
Questions about subject to planning in Devon
What is a long-stop date on a sale subject to planning in Devon?
It is the last date by which a satisfactory planning permission must be granted. If none arrives by then, the contract ends and you keep your land. It is agreed at the start and should allow time for surveys, one application and, where sensible, a resubmission or appeal.
Do you buy garden plots subject to planning in Devon?
Yes. Where a plot in Devon has a realistic chance of permission, we can agree a conditional contract: price fixed now, completion only once a satisfactory permission is granted. We normally fund the application. If it is refused and the contract ends, you keep your land.
What surveys might a garden plot in Devon need for planning?
Commonly a measured survey, a tree survey and a preliminary ecology check, plus drainage and sometimes flood risk work. Some ecology surveys can only be done at certain times of year, which affects the timetable. On a sale subject to planning, we normally commission and fund these as part of the application.
Do you buy garden plots in Devon?
Yes. We buy suitable garden plots across Devon 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.