Option agreements for land in Whitehaven
We offer an option agreement on land across Cumbria, including sites around Whitehaven, Workington and Cockermouth.
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
- No pressure to decide
- Independent advice encouraged
Tell us about your land
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Where Whitehaven sits
Our appraisals for Whitehaven start with the CA28 postcode district and the OS grid square NX91, then widen out to Workington, Cockermouth and Maryport, all within about 12 miles.
Upland farming country. The Lake District National Park covers the central fells, so most growth is focused on Carlisle, Kendal and the west coast towns.
| Town | Whitehaven |
|---|---|
| County | Cumbria |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | CA28 |
| OS grid square | NX91 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Workington (7 mi), Cockermouth (12 mi), Maryport (12 mi) |
| Distance from Carlisle | About 35 miles south-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?
- Larger fields and blocks on the edge of towns and villages
- Owners happy to wait several years for a higher price
- Holdings where several owners need to work together
- Owners who want to keep farming until development
If your land could be allocated in a future local plan, an option keeps it moving towards development without you funding the work.
What to check in an option agreement
Option fee
A payment on signing, which you usually keep even if the option isn't exercised.
Term
How long we have to secure permission and exercise the option.
Deductions
Which planning and infrastructure costs come off the price before you're paid.
Exercise triggers
What has to happen before we can buy.
Land near Whitehaven that an option agreement suits
Land without planning permission in Whitehaven
We pay for the right to buy later and fund the planning work meanwhile.
Land for affordable homes in Whitehaven
Useful while housing need is evidenced and a scheme is prepared.
Infill plots and gap sites in Whitehaven
Seldom needed for single infill plots.
Garage sites in Whitehaven
Rarely needed unless several garage owners are involved.
What happens next
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode or address and a rough size.
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.
Solicitors complete the sale
Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.
What England's rules mean for your land
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 want to be sure we'll actually pursue planning
Agreements can include obligations to use reasonable endeavours and set milestones.
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
- The address or postcode
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Your title number, if you know it
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
Questions from landowners near Whitehaven
What is an option agreement?
A contract that gives the buyer the right to buy your land within a set period, usually after planning permission is granted. You receive an option fee now and the purchase price if the option is exercised.
Do I keep the option fee if you don't buy?
Normally, yes. The terms are set out in the agreement.
What's the difference between an option and a promotion agreement?
Under an option the buyer has the right to buy the land. Under a promotion agreement a promoter gets permission and then sells the land on the open market, taking a share of the proceeds. We offer options, not promotion agreements.
Do you cover the villages around Whitehaven?
Yes. Villages between Whitehaven, Workington and Cockermouth often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
Option agreements near Whitehaven
More land we buy in Whitehaven
- Development land
- Land with planning permission
- Land without planning permission
- Large strategic sites
- 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 Whitehaven
- Option agreements in Cumbria
Find out what we'd pay for your land near Whitehaven
Send the postcode and a rough size. We'll check the title and planning position and come back to you.