Option agreements for land in Atherton
For owners in Atherton and the M46 area, an option agreement is worth understanding before you talk to any buyer, including us.
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
- No pressure to decide
- Independent advice encouraged
Tell us about your land
We'll check the title and planning, then call you.
Where Atherton sits
Atherton lies in Greater Manchester, some 11 miles west of Manchester. Nearby, we also look at land around Tyldesley (1 mile), Westhoughton (2 miles) and Leigh (2 miles).
A dense urban core where most new homes are on brownfield land, with green belt on the edges climbing towards the Pennines.
| Town | Atherton |
|---|---|
| County | Greater Manchester |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | M46 |
| OS grid square | SD60 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Tyldesley (1 mi), Westhoughton (2 mi), Leigh (2 mi) |
| Distance from Manchester | About 11 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 |
When an option agreement suits land near Atherton
- 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
- Land needing access or infrastructure to be unlocked
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.
What to check in an option agreement
Purchase price
Often a percentage of market value with permission, less agreed costs.
Minimum price
A floor that protects you if values fall.
Term
How long we have to secure permission and exercise the option.
Exercise triggers
What has to happen before we can buy.
Land near Atherton that an option agreement suits
Green belt and grey belt land in Atherton
Common for green belt land promoted through a local plan review.
Building plots in Atherton
Rarely needed for single plots.
Garden land and backland in Atherton
Useful when several neighbours' gardens are being assembled.
Infill plots and gap sites in Atherton
Seldom needed for single infill plots.
From first call to completion
Send us the address
A postcode, a plan or a what3words location is enough to start.
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.
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're worried about the deductions
Ask for a clear list and a cap on what can be deducted. We'll explain each one.
You want to be sure we'll actually pursue planning
Agreements can include obligations to use reasonable endeavours and set milestones.
Useful to send us
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- 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.
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 Atherton?
Yes. Villages between Atherton, Tyldesley and Westhoughton often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
Other land in Atherton
- 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 Atherton
- Option agreements in Greater Manchester
Ready to talk about your land in Atherton?
Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.