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Option agreements for land in Dorchester

Before you agree an option agreement on land near Dorchester, it helps to know exactly when you'd be paid, who carries the planning risk and how the price is set.

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.

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

Tell us about your land

We'll check the title and planning, then call you.

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

Dorchester at a glance

Dorchester lies in Dorset, roughly 24 miles west of Bournemouth. Nearby, we also look at land around Weymouth (7 miles), Portland (10 miles) and Yeovil (18 miles).

Chalk downland and coast, much of it inside the Dorset National Landscape, with the South East Dorset green belt around Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

TownDorchester
CountyDorset
CountryEngland
Postcode districtDT1
OS grid squareSY69
Nearest towns we coverWeymouth (7 mi), Portland (10 mi), Yeovil (18 mi)
Distance from BournemouthAbout 24 miles west
Planning systemNational Planning Policy Framework and local plan
When you're paidOption fee now, price when the option is exercised
Planning costsOurs, sometimes recoverable from the price
Two people in outdoor jackets walking along a hedgerow, one pointing across the field

Who an option agreement works best for

  • Land being considered in a local plan review
  • Holdings where several owners need to work together
  • Owners who want to keep farming until development
  • Sites with technical issues that need time to resolve

Options are the usual way to bring larger sites forward. They let us invest in planning while you keep ownership and the use of your land.

The terms that matter

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.

Your obligations

Agreements set what you can and can't do with the land in the meantime.

Land near Dorchester that an option agreement suits

Land with planning permission in Dorchester

Rarely needed once consent exists, but can suit phased sites.

Large strategic sites in Dorchester

The usual route: an option fee now and a price based on market value later.

Land for affordable homes in Dorchester

Useful while housing need is evidenced and a scheme is prepared.

Farmland and agricultural land in Dorchester

Common for edge-of-town farmland promoted through the local plan.

How a sale works

  1. Tell us about your land

    Send the postcode or address and a rough size.

  2. We check it properly

    Title, planning history, access, flood maps and local policy.

  3. You get a written offer

    With the main figures behind it, so your adviser can check it.

  4. The legal work

    Your solicitor and ours handle the contract through to completion.

Planning and legal points for land in Dorset

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

  • A rough size, in acres or hectares
  • A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
  • Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
  • Photos of the land and its access

Questions from landowners near Dorchester

How long do options last?

It varies with the site. Several years is typical for land needing local plan allocation, often with extension rights.

Can I sell to someone else during the option?

Not usually. The option binds the land, and it's normally registered against your title.

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 Dorchester?

Yes. Villages between Dorchester, Weymouth and Portland often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.

Option agreements near Dorchester

Other land in Dorchester

Ready to talk about your land in Dorchester?

A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.

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