Sell strategic land and large sites in Saddleworth
Whether your land is in Saddleworth itself or in the villages between Saddleworth and Oldham, we'll look at it properly before making any offer.
Large sites on the edge of towns are where much of the country's new housing ends up. Getting there takes local plan promotion, technical studies and patience, and the deal needs to reflect that.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
- Independent advice encouraged
Selling land near Saddleworth?
We'll check the title and planning, then call you.
Where Saddleworth sits
Saddleworth (OL3) sits in OS grid square SD90, some 11 miles north-east of Manchester. Sites between here and Oldham or Stalybridge are just as much of interest to us.
A dense urban core where most new homes are on brownfield land, with green belt on the edges climbing towards the Pennines.
| Town | Saddleworth |
|---|---|
| County | Greater Manchester |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | OL3 |
| OS grid square | SD90 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Oldham (5 mi), Royton (5 mi), Stalybridge (5 mi) |
| Distance from Manchester | About 11 miles north-east |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |
What makes strategic land near Saddleworth worth an offer
- Blocks of land of several acres on the edge of towns and larger villages
- Land being considered in a local plan review
- Land without major heritage, ecology or flood constraints
- Sites close to schools, shops and public transport
Large sites on the edge of towns are where much of the country's new housing ends up. Getting there takes local plan promotion, technical studies and patience, and the deal needs to reflect that.
The things that move our offer
Local plan timing
A site that can be put forward at the next plan review has a clearer route to permission.
Infrastructure
New roads, schools or drainage on a large scheme are paid for out of land value.
Price mechanism
Options and conditional contracts usually pay a share of market value at the time permission is granted.
Term length
Longer agreements give more time for planning but tie up your land for longer.
Four routes to a sale
Outright purchase
Rare on unallocated strategic land, but possible at a risk-adjusted price.
Subject-to-planning sale
A fixed or formula price paid once an acceptable permission is granted.
Option agreements
The usual route: an option fee now and a price based on market value later.
Joint ventures
Lets you share in the development value if you can wait for it.
From first call to completion
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode or address and a rough size.
We do the homework
We read the title and planning record and check flood risk and access.
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.
Rules that apply in England
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.
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.
Farm tenancies
Agricultural Holdings Act tenancies and farm business tenancies have their own notice and compensation rules, which affect when land can be developed.
When the land isn't straightforward
The land is farmed by a tenant
Tenancies need managing before building can start. We look at notice periods and compensation early.
You are worried about being tied up for years
We agree a term with clear milestones, so the agreement can end if planning stalls.
Useful to send us
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- Your title number, if you know it
- Any planning applications or letters
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
Common questions
What counts as strategic land?
There's no legal definition. In practice it means larger sites, often over five acres, whose route to development runs through the local plan or a major planning application.
Do I pay for planning on strategic land?
Normally not. Under an option or conditional contract the buyer funds planning and technical work, and recovers those costs from the land price only if the agreement allows it.
Can I farm the land while planning is pursued?
Usually, yes. Agreements normally let you keep using the land until the buyer needs it.
How do I get an offer for land in Saddleworth?
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.
Other land types and routes
- Development land
- Land with planning permission
- Land without planning permission
- 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 Saddleworth
- Large strategic sites in Greater Manchester
Ready to talk about your land in Saddleworth?
Send the postcode and a rough size. We'll check the title and planning position and come back to you.