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Sell land with planning permission in Formby

Our interest in land with planning permission around Formby is simple: we're buying land to build homes on, so we look for sites where homes are realistic and price them on that basis.

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.

  • No commission: we're the buyer
  • Figures explained, so you can check them
  • Independent advice encouraged

Tell us about your land

Send the postcode and a rough size.

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

Where Formby sits

From Formby, it's 6 miles to Maghull and 7 miles to Southport. We buy land across that whole stretch of Merseyside, not only within the town.

Largely urban, with substantial brownfield land in Liverpool and the surrounding boroughs and green belt around the edges.

TownFormby
CountyMerseyside
CountryEngland
Postcode districtL37
OS grid squareSD20
Nearest towns we coverMaghull (6 mi), Southport (7 mi), Bootle (7 mi)
Distance from LiverpoolAbout 11 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 Formby a good fit?

  • Reserved matters approvals or discharge-of-conditions decisions already in place
  • Permissions that are still within their time limit, or have been lawfully started
  • Sites with a signed Section 106 agreement we can read
  • 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.

What decides the value of land with planning permission near Formby

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.

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.

From first call to completion

  1. Tell us about your land

    Send the postcode or address and a rough size.

  2. We do the homework

    We read the title and planning record and check flood risk and access.

  3. We put an offer in writing

    It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.

  4. The legal work

    Your solicitor and ours handle the contract through to completion.

Planning and legal points for land in Merseyside

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.

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 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

  • A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
  • Any planning applications or letters
  • Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
  • How soon you'd ideally like to sell

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 I sell a plot with prior approval for a barn conversion?

Yes. Prior approvals are time limited and have their own rules, so we check the approval and the building before making an offer.

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.

How do I get an offer for land in Formby?

Use the form on this page or call 0800 088 6248. Tell us the postcode, the rough size and anything you know about planning, and we'll come back to you.

Land with planning permission near Formby

Other land in Formby

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

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

Get an offerCall 0800 088 6248