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Sell land with planning permission in Durham

If you own land with planning permission near Durham, we can usually tell you quite quickly whether it suits us, and if it doesn't, we'll say why.

A site with a live planning permission is the simplest land to sell. The main questions are whether the permission is still valid, what its conditions require and how much the Section 106 agreement costs to deliver.

  • Free appraisal and written offer
  • No pressure to decide
  • Independent advice encouraged

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Free and no obligation. We're the buyer, so there's no commission.

Durham at a glance

Durham (DH1) sits in OS grid square NZ24, about 17 miles north of Darlington. Sites between here and Chester-le-Street or Stanley are just as much of interest to us.

TownDurham
CountyCounty Durham
CountryEngland
Postcode districtDH1
OS grid squareNZ24
Nearest towns we coverChester-le-Street (6 mi), Houghton-le-Spring (6 mi), Stanley (8 mi)
Distance from DarlingtonAbout 17 miles north
Planning systemNational Planning Policy Framework and local plan
Ways to sellOutright, subject to planning, option or joint venture
Greenfield site with timber setting-out pegs and orange tape beside a temporary mesh fence

Is your land near Durham a good fit?

  • Reserved matters approvals or discharge-of-conditions decisions already in place
  • Sites with a signed Section 106 agreement we can read
  • Prior approvals for conversions, such as agricultural buildings to homes
  • Lapsed or lapsing permissions, which we can look at renewing

If you already hold consent, you have done the hard part. We review the decision notice, conditions and any legal agreement, then make an offer that reflects what it will really cost to build.

The things that move our offer

Time left on the permission

A permission close to expiry may need a quick start or a fresh application, and that affects price.

Section 106 and CIL

Affordable housing and financial contributions come straight off what a buyer can pay.

Abnormal costs

Retaining walls, drainage works or contamination add cost beyond a normal build.

Sale values nearby

What similar new homes sell for locally sets the ceiling on value.

Four routes to a sale

Outright purchase

The usual route for consented land: agree a price, then exchange and complete.

Subject-to-planning sale

Useful if you want us to improve or renew the permission before completion.

Option agreements

Rarely needed once consent exists, but can suit phased sites.

Joint ventures

An option if you would like a share of the profit from building the homes.

How a sale works

  1. Send us the address

    A postcode, a plan or a what3words location is enough to start.

  2. We check it properly

    Title, planning history, access, flood maps and local policy.

  3. You get a written offer

    With the main figures behind it, so your adviser can check it.

  4. The legal work

    Your solicitor and ours handle the contract through to completion.

Planning and legal points for land in County Durham

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.

Agricultural buildings (Class Q)

In England, Class Q permitted development can allow some agricultural buildings to become homes through prior approval, within limits on size and number of homes.

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.

Common problems, and how we handle them

The conditions look onerous

Some conditions are routine and some are expensive. We price each one so you can see what is driving the offer.

The Section 106 makes the scheme unviable

If costs have moved since consent, a viability review or a variation may be possible. We will tell you if we think that is realistic.

Useful to send us

  • A rough size, in acres or hectares
  • A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
  • Your title number, if you know it
  • How soon you'd ideally like to sell

What people ask us about land with planning permission

Does a permission go with the land when I sell?

Yes. Planning permission attaches to the land, not to the owner, so it passes to the buyer automatically.

Do you pay more for full permission?

Usually, because there is less risk and less work before building can start. How much more depends on the conditions and obligations attached.

Can you exchange quickly on a consented site?

Often, yes, because the planning question is answered. The pace then depends on title, searches and how quickly both solicitors work.

Do you buy land in Durham?

Yes. We consider land in and around Durham and across County Durham. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.

Also near Durham

More land we buy in Durham

Find out what we'd pay for your land near Durham

A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.

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