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Option agreements for land in Heywood

We offer an option agreement on land across Greater Manchester, including sites around Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale.

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
  • Independent advice encouraged

Tell us about your land

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

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Please enter a UK phone number.
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Please enter a postcode, or at least the first half.
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Free and no obligation. We're the buyer, so there's no commission.

Heywood at a glance

The land we're most interested in near Heywood sits on the edge of the built-up area or in the villages towards Middleton (3 miles) and Rochdale (3 miles).

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

TownHeywood
CountyGreater Manchester
CountryEngland
Postcode districtOL10
OS grid squareSD81
Nearest towns we coverMiddleton (3 mi), Rochdale (3 mi), Bury (3 mi)
Distance from ManchesterAbout 8 miles north
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

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.

How the money works

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.

Exercise triggers

What has to happen before we can buy.

Land near Heywood that an option agreement suits

Land without planning permission in Heywood

We pay for the right to buy later and fund the planning work meanwhile.

Farmland and agricultural land in Heywood

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

Building plots in Heywood

Rarely needed for single plots.

Landlocked land and access problems in Heywood

Useful while access is negotiated with neighbours.

What happens next

  1. Tell us about your land

    Send the postcode or address and a rough size.

  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.

What England's rules mean for your land

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
  • Your title number, if you know it
  • Details of any tenants or grazing agreements

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 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.

Can I sell to someone else during the option?

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

How do I get an offer for land in Heywood?

Use the form on this page or call 0800 088 6248. Tell us the postcode, the rough size and anything you know about planning, and we'll come back to you.

Also near Heywood

Other land types and routes

Get a straight answer about your land

Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.

Get an offerCall 0800 088 6248