Option agreements for land in Newbury
If you own land near Newbury, you may be wondering whether an option agreement would suit you. The answer depends on your land's planning prospects and how soon you want to be paid.
An option agreement gives a buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy land within a set period, usually once planning permission is obtained. The landowner receives an option fee up front and, if the option is exercised, a price normally based on market value with permission, less agreed deductions.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
- We fund the planning work
Get an offer for land in Newbury
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Where Newbury sits
Land around Newbury falls under England's planning system. The closest towns we also cover are Thatcham, 3 miles away, and Wantage, 14 miles away, and Reading is 16 miles away.
The Thames valley towns are under steady pressure for new homes. Much of east Berkshire is Metropolitan Green Belt, and the west takes in part of the North Wessex Downs National Landscape.
| Town | Newbury |
|---|---|
| County | Berkshire |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | RG14 |
| OS grid square | SU46 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Thatcham (3 mi), Wantage (14 mi), Basingstoke (14 mi) |
| Distance from Reading | About 16 miles west |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| When you're paid | Option fee now, price when the option is exercised |
| Planning costs | Ours, sometimes recoverable from the price |
Is an option agreement right for your land?
- Land being considered in a local plan review
- Owners happy to wait several years for a higher price
- Land needing access or infrastructure to be unlocked
- Owners who want to keep farming until development
An option can capture more of your land's value where it needs a long planning journey, but the details matter. We explain every term before you commit.
The terms that matter
Option fee
A payment on signing, which you usually keep even if the option isn't exercised.
Minimum price
A floor that protects you if values fall.
Term
How long we have to secure permission and exercise the option.
Exercise triggers
What has to happen before we can buy.
Land near Newbury that an option agreement suits
Small sites in Newbury
Useful if land needs assembling from more than one owner.
Redundant commercial and industrial land in Newbury
Useful where vacant possession is some way off.
Inherited and probate land in Newbury
Can suit families who want to hold on while planning is explored.
Landlocked land and access problems in Newbury
Useful while access is negotiated with neighbours.
What happens next
Send us the address
A postcode, a plan or a what3words location is enough to start.
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.
Planning and legal points for land in Berkshire
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.
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
You're worried about the deductions
Ask for a clear list and a cap on what can be deducted. We'll explain each one.
You'd like your advisers' costs covered
Many option agreements include a contribution to the landowner's legal and agent costs. We'll tell you if ours does.
Useful to send us
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- Any planning applications or letters
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
What people ask us about an option agreement
Do I keep the option fee if you don't buy?
Normally, yes. The terms are set out in the agreement.
How is the price set?
Usually as a percentage of the land's market value once permission is granted, minus agreed costs, with a minimum price. The percentage and deductions are negotiated.
How long do options last?
It varies with the site. Several years is typical for land needing local plan allocation, often with extension rights.
Do you cover the villages around Newbury?
Yes. Villages between Newbury, Thatcham and Wantage often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
More land we buy in Newbury
- Development land
- Land with planning permission
- 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
- Joint ventures
- All land in Newbury
- Option agreements in Berkshire
Get a straight answer about your land
Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.