Option agreements for land in Ashton-in-Makerfield
Choosing how to sell matters as much as choosing who to sell to. For land near Ashton-in-Makerfield, an option agreement trades certainty and timing in a particular way.
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.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
- We fund the planning work
Selling land near Ashton-in-Makerfield?
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Ashton-in-Makerfield at a glance
Ashton-in-Makerfield lies in Greater Manchester, roughly 17 miles west of Manchester. Nearby, we also look at land around Golborne (2 miles), Newton-le-Willows (3 miles) and St Helens (4 miles).
A dense urban core where most new homes are on brownfield land, with green belt on the edges climbing towards the Pennines.
| Town | Ashton-in-Makerfield |
|---|---|
| County | Greater Manchester |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | WN4 |
| OS grid square | SJ59 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Golborne (2 mi), Newton-le-Willows (3 mi), St Helens (4 mi) |
| Distance from Manchester | About 17 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?
- Larger fields and blocks on the edge of towns and villages
- Land being considered in a local plan review
- Land needing access or infrastructure to be unlocked
- Sites with technical issues that need time to resolve
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.
Minimum price
A floor that protects you if values fall.
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.
Land near Ashton-in-Makerfield that an option agreement suits
Development land in Ashton-in-Makerfield
Suits larger fields where the planning route may take several years.
Farmland and agricultural land in Ashton-in-Makerfield
Common for edge-of-town farmland promoted through the local plan.
Barns and rural buildings in Ashton-in-Makerfield
Less common for single buildings but can suit whole farmyards.
Building plots in Ashton-in-Makerfield
Rarely needed for single plots.
What happens next
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.
We put an offer in writing
It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.
Solicitors complete the sale
Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.
Planning and legal points for land in Greater Manchester
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.
When the land isn't straightforward
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 plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Your title number, if you know it
- Any planning applications or letters
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
Your questions answered
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.
Can I sell to someone else during the option?
Not usually. The option binds the land, and it's normally registered against your title.
Do you buy land in Ashton-in-Makerfield?
Yes. We consider land in and around Ashton-in-Makerfield and across Greater Manchester. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.
Other land types and routes
- 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 Ashton-in-Makerfield
- Option agreements in Greater Manchester
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.