Option agreements for land in Saddleworth
Before you agree an option agreement on land near Saddleworth, it helps to know exactly when you'd be paid, who carries the planning risk and how the price is set.
If your land could be allocated in a future local plan, an option keeps it moving towards development without you funding the work.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- No pressure to decide
- We fund the planning work
Get an offer for land in Saddleworth
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Saddleworth at a glance
Our appraisals for Saddleworth start with the OL3 postcode district and the OS grid square SD90, then widen out to Oldham, Royton and Stalybridge, all within about 5 miles.
A dense urban core where most new homes are on brownfield land, with green belt on the edges climbing towards the Pennines.
| Town | Saddleworth |
|---|---|
| County | Greater Manchester |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | OL3 |
| OS grid square | SD90 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Oldham (5 mi), Royton (5 mi), Stalybridge (5 mi) |
| Distance from Manchester | About 11 miles north-east |
| 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 |
Who an option agreement works best for
- Land being considered in a local plan review
- Owners happy to wait several years for a higher price
- Holdings where several owners need to work together
- 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.
Minimum price
A floor that protects you if values fall.
Deductions
Which planning and infrastructure costs come off the price before you're paid.
Land near Saddleworth that an option agreement suits
Large strategic sites in Saddleworth
The usual route: an option fee now and a price based on market value later.
Farmland and agricultural land in Saddleworth
Common for edge-of-town farmland promoted through the local plan.
Brownfield land in Saddleworth
Can suit larger brownfield sites with a longer planning route.
Redundant commercial and industrial land in Saddleworth
Useful where vacant possession is some way off.
How a sale works
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode or address and a rough size.
We check it properly
Title, planning history, access, flood maps and local policy.
We put an offer in writing
It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.
The legal work
Your solicitor and ours handle the contract through to completion.
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'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
- Photos of the land and its access
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
Questions from landowners near Saddleworth
Do I keep the option fee if you don't buy?
Normally, yes. The terms are set out in the agreement.
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.
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.
Can you visit land near Saddleworth?
Yes. Once we've looked at the title and planning position, we arrange a site visit if the land looks suitable. Send the address or postcode to start.
Option agreements near Saddleworth
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 Saddleworth
- Option agreements in Greater Manchester
Ready to talk about your land in Saddleworth?
Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.