Sell land with planning permission in Harlow
If you want to sell land with planning permission in Harlow, you can deal with the buyer directly. We look at the land, explain what it's worth and why, and leave the decision with you.
Land with planning permission has consent from the local planning authority to build a specific development, either in outline (the principle) or in full (the detailed design). We buy consented sites directly, check the permission and its conditions, and make an offer you can accept without marketing the land.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Independent advice encouraged
Tell us about your land
We'll check the title and planning, then call you.
Where Harlow sits
Land around Harlow falls under England's planning system. The closest towns we also cover are Hoddesdon, 5 miles away, and Bishops Stortford, 7 miles away, and Southend-on-Sea is 31 miles away.
| Town | Harlow |
|---|---|
| County | Essex |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | CM17 |
| OS grid square | TL41 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Hoddesdon (5 mi), Bishops Stortford (7 mi), Waltham Abbey (8 mi) |
| Distance from Southend-on-Sea | About 31 miles north-west |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |
Land we're keen to see around Harlow
- Full or outline permission for one home or more
- Reserved matters approvals or discharge-of-conditions decisions already in place
- Prior approvals for conversions, such as agricultural buildings to homes
- Lapsed or lapsing permissions, which we can look at renewing
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.
What decides the value of land with planning permission near Harlow
Type of permission
Full permission carries less risk than outline, which still needs reserved matters approval.
Pre-commencement conditions
Conditions that must be discharged before building starts can add surveys, cost and delay.
Section 106 and CIL
Affordable housing and financial contributions come straight off what a buyer can pay.
Scheme quality
A scheme that is hard to build or sell may need redesigning, which reduces the land value.
Ways to sell this land
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.
From first call to completion
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.
You get a written offer
With the main figures behind it, so your adviser can check it.
The legal work
Your solicitor and ours handle the contract through to completion.
Planning and legal points for land in Essex
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.
Biodiversity net gain
Under the Environment Act 2021, most developments in England must deliver at least a 10% gain in biodiversity. Since 6 August 2026, sites of 0.2 hectares or less are exempt unless priority habitat is affected.
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.
When the land isn't straightforward
The permission is about to expire
In England a full permission normally lasts three years and in Wales five. We check whether a lawful start has been made or whether a new application is the better route.
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
- The address or postcode
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Any planning applications or letters
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
Common questions
How long does planning permission last?
In England, full planning permission usually requires work to start within three years, and in Wales within five, unless the decision notice says otherwise. Outline permissions have separate time limits for reserved matters. The decision notice sets out the exact dates.
Can you buy if I only have outline permission?
Yes. We will price the reserved matters work and the risk that the detailed design changes the number or type of homes.
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.
Do you buy land in Harlow?
Yes. We consider land in and around Harlow and across Essex. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.
Other land in Harlow
- Development land
- Land without planning permission
- Large strategic sites
- Green belt and grey belt land
- Land for affordable homes
- Farmland and agricultural land
- Paddocks and equestrian land
- Barns and rural buildings
- Building plots
- Garden land and backland
- Infill plots and gap sites
- Small sites
- Garage sites
- Brownfield land
- Redundant commercial and industrial land
- Inherited and probate land
- Landlocked land and access problems
- Outright purchase
- Subject-to-planning sale
- Option agreements
- Joint ventures
- All land in Harlow
- Land with planning permission in Essex
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.