- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 7
- City
- Norwich
Getting it right in Norfolk
Surveys can set the timetable for a conditional sale more than the council does. A garden plot in Norfolk may need a tree survey, a preliminary ecology check, sometimes bat or reptile surveys, and a drainage strategy, because the new home will require a drainage plan the council will want to see. Some ecology work can only be done at certain times of year, which is why the long-stop date should allow for it. We plan the surveys at the outset, fund them as part of the application, and share the results with you.
Planning authorities covering Norfolk include Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Breckland Council, Broadland District Council, Great Yarmouth Borough Council, North Norfolk District Council, Norwich City Council, South Norfolk 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 Norfolk
Questions about subject to planning in Norfolk
Do you buy garden plots subject to planning in Norfolk?
Yes. Where a plot in Norfolk 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.
Is a sale subject to planning legally binding in Norfolk?
Yes, once contracts are exchanged. Both sides are committed to complete if a satisfactory permission is granted by the long-stop date. Before exchange, heads of terms aren’t binding, and either side can walk away. Your own solicitor should review the contract before you sign.
How is the price set on a conditional sale in Norfolk?
Either as a fixed figure or as a formula linked to the permission granted, for example the number or size of homes allowed. Many formulas include a minimum price. Any cost recovery is written into heads of terms before you sign, so you see the full calculation from the outset.
How much is a garden plot in Norfolk worth?
It depends on location, size, access, title and, above all, planning. Two similar gardens in the same street can be worth very different amounts if one has easy access and the other doesn’t. We don’t quote figures before we’ve looked at a plot properly; the free appraisal is the way to find out.