- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 5
- City
- Oxford
Before you start in Oxfordshire
Surveys can set the timetable for a conditional sale more than the council does. A garden plot in Oxfordshire 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 Oxfordshire include Cherwell District Council, Oxford City Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council, West Oxfordshire District 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 Oxfordshire
Questions about subject to planning in Oxfordshire
Do you buy garden plots subject to planning in Oxfordshire?
Yes. Where a plot in Oxfordshire 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 Oxfordshire 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.
How is the price set on a conditional sale in Oxfordshire?
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.
Do I need my own solicitor to sell a plot in Oxfordshire?
Yes, always. Your solicitor checks the contract, deals with the transfer of part at HM Land Registry and asks your mortgage lender to release the plot if the house is mortgaged. On option and promotion agreements we cover your reasonable legal fees, with the cap agreed in heads of terms before work starts.