Sell development land in Ashton-in-Makerfield

Thinking about whether to sell development land in Ashton-in-Makerfield? A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and how we got there, with no obligation to go further.

Development land is land where new homes or other buildings could realistically be built, either because it already has planning permission or because its location makes permission a reasonable prospect. We buy development land across England and Wales directly from the owner, so there is no agent's commission to pay.

Free appraisal and written offer
No commission: we're the buyer
No pressure to decide

Selling land near Ashton-in-Makerfield?

Free, no-obligation appraisal.

Where Ashton-in-Makerfield sits

Land around Ashton-in-Makerfield falls under England's planning system. The closest towns we also cover are Golborne, 2 miles away, and Newton-le-Willows, 3 miles away, and Manchester is 17 miles away.

Town	Ashton-in-Makerfield
County	Greater Manchester
Country	England
Postcode district	WN4
OS grid square	SJ59
Nearest towns we cover	Golborne (2 mi), Newton-le-Willows (3 mi), St Helens (4 mi)
Distance from Manchester	About 17 miles west
Planning system	National Planning Policy Framework and local plan
Ways to sell	Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture

Grass field beside the back gardens of a modern housing estate, with a field gate onto the road

What we look for around Ashton-in-Makerfield

Land that adjoins an existing town, village or housing estate
A safe point of access onto a public road, or a realistic way to create one
Land outside the highest-risk flood zones, or where flood risk can be designed out
Mains water, drainage and electricity nearby

If you own a field or site on the edge of a settlement, you may be sitting on land a homebuilder wants. We look at the planning history, access and services, then tell you plainly whether we can make an offer and on what basis.

How we arrive at a figure for land in Greater Manchester

Planning status

Land with an implementable permission is worth far more than land with none, because the biggest risk has gone.

Planning obligations

Affordable housing, Section 106 contributions and, in some areas, CIL reduce what a buyer can pay for the land.

Ground and drainage

Poor ground, contamination or the need for a pumping station all add build cost that comes off the land price.

Ecology and trees

Protected species, ancient hedgerows and tree preservation orders can reduce the developable area.

Ways to sell this land

Outright purchase

Best where permission is already granted and the title is clean.

Subject-to-planning sale

Lets you lock in a price now that is paid once we secure permission.

Option agreements

Suits larger fields where the planning route may take several years.

Joint ventures

Worth discussing if you want a share of the finished development value.

How a sale works

Send us the address
A postcode, a plan or a what3words location is enough to start.
We check it properly
Title, planning history, access, flood maps and local policy.
We put an offer in writing
It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.
Solicitors complete the sale
Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.

Planning and legal points for land in Greater Manchester

Planning framework

Planning decisions in England follow the National Planning Policy Framework, revised in August 2026, and the local plan, prepared by the council or, in a national park, the park authority. Plans are reviewed periodically, which is when new housing sites are usually allocated.

Green belt and grey belt

Green belt land is protected from inappropriate development. National policy in England also recognises 'grey belt': green belt land that doesn't strongly contribute to key green belt purposes, where housing can be acceptable if further tests are met.

Section 106 and CIL

Larger schemes often need a Section 106 agreement for affordable housing or contributions, and councils that have adopted the Community Infrastructure Levy charge it per square metre of new floorspace.

Awkward details we deal with

The site has been refused planning before

A refusal tells us what the council objected to. We read the decision notice and judge whether a different scheme could answer it.

Part of the field floods

We map the flood zones and look at whether homes can sit on the drier part, with the rest used as open space.

Useful to send us

A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
Your title number, if you know it
Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
Photos of the land and its access

Questions from landowners near Ashton-in-Makerfield

Do you buy development land without planning permission?

Yes. Without permission we usually buy on a subject-to-planning contract or an option, so the price reflects value with permission rather than farmland value. If you need a quick, unconditional sale, we can also make an outright offer that reflects the planning risk.

What size of site do you buy?

We look at sites from around a quarter of an acre for a single plot up to large fields on the edge of towns. Size matters less than location, access and planning prospects.

How long does it take to sell development land?

With permission and clean title, a sale can move as fast as the solicitors can complete the legal work. Without permission, timing depends on the planning process, which commonly takes many months and sometimes years for larger sites.

Do you cover the villages around Ashton-in-Makerfield?

Yes. Villages between Ashton-in-Makerfield, Golborne and Newton-le-Willows often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.

Get a straight answer about your land

Send the postcode and a rough size. We'll check the title and planning position and come back to you.

Get an offer Call 0800 088 6248