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Option agreements for land in Rottingdean

If you own land in or around Rottingdean, option agreements is one of four ways you can sell it to us. Here's how it works and when it makes sense.

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.

  • Free appraisal and written offer
  • No pressure to decide
  • We fund the planning work

Tell us about your land

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

Where Rottingdean sits

Our appraisals for Rottingdean start with the BN2 postcode district and the OS grid square TQ30, then widen out to Brighton, Hove and Portslade, all within about 7 miles.

Much of the county lies in the South Downs National Park or the High Weald National Landscape, which limits greenfield development outside the towns.

TownRottingdean
CountyEast Sussex
CountryEngland
Postcode districtBN2
OS grid squareTQ30
Nearest towns we coverBrighton (4 mi), Hove (5 mi), Portslade (7 mi)
Distance from BrightonAbout 4 miles east
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

When an option agreement suits land near Rottingdean

  • Land being considered in a local plan review
  • Holdings where several owners need to work together
  • Land needing access or infrastructure to be unlocked
  • Owners who want to keep farming until development

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.

How the money works

Option fee

A payment on signing, which you usually keep even if the option isn't exercised.

Purchase price

Often a percentage of market value with permission, less agreed costs.

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.

What happens next

  1. Send us the address

    A postcode, a plan or a what3words location is enough to start.

  2. We do the homework

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

  3. You get a written offer

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

  4. Solicitors complete the sale

    Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.

Planning and legal points for land in East Sussex

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

  • The address or postcode
  • A rough size, in acres or hectares
  • Any planning applications or letters
  • Photos of the land and its access

Your questions answered

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.

How long do options last?

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

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 buy land in Rottingdean?

Yes. We consider land in and around Rottingdean and across East Sussex. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.

Get a straight answer about your land

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