Land we buyWays to sellAreasGuidesAbout Contact Get an offer

Option agreements for land in Ashton-under-Lyne

Choosing how to sell matters as much as choosing who to sell to. For land near Ashton-under-Lyne, an option agreement trades certainty and timing in a particular way.

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.

  • No commission: we're the buyer
  • Figures explained, so you can check them
  • We fund the planning work

Selling land near Ashton-under-Lyne?

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

Please enter your name.
Please enter a UK phone number.
Please enter a valid email address.
Please enter a postcode, or at least the first half.
Please tick the box so we can contact you.

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

Ashton-under-Lyne at a glance

From Ashton-under-Lyne, it's 1 mile to Dukinfield and 2 miles to Stalybridge. We buy land across that whole stretch of Greater Manchester, not only within the town.

A dense urban core where most new homes are on brownfield land, with green belt on the edges climbing towards the Pennines.

TownAshton-under-Lyne
CountyGreater Manchester
CountryEngland
Postcode districtOL7
OS grid squareSJ99
Nearest towns we coverDukinfield (1 mi), Stalybridge (2 mi), Droylsden (2 mi)
Distance from ManchesterAbout 6 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 Ashton-under-Lyne

  • Land being considered in a local plan review
  • Owners happy to wait several years for a higher price
  • Owners who want to keep farming until development
  • 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.

Purchase price

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

Deductions

Which planning and infrastructure costs come off the price before you're paid.

Exercise triggers

What has to happen before we can buy.

How a sale works

  1. Send us the address

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

  2. We check it properly

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

  3. We put an offer in writing

    It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.

  4. Solicitors complete the sale

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

Rules that apply in England

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
  • How soon you'd ideally like to sell

Common questions

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.

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 Ashton-under-Lyne?

Yes. Villages between Ashton-under-Lyne, Dukinfield and Stalybridge often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.

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.