Option agreements for land in Walkden
If you own land near Walkden, you may be wondering whether an option agreement would suit you. The answer depends on your land's planning prospects and how soon you want to be paid.
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.
- No pressure to decide
- Independent advice encouraged
- We fund the planning work
Selling land near Walkden?
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Walkden at a glance
The land we're most interested in near Walkden sits on the edge of the built-up area or in the villages towards Farnworth (2 miles) and Swinton (2 miles).
| Town | Walkden |
|---|---|
| County | Greater Manchester |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | M28 |
| OS grid square | SD70 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Farnworth (2 mi), Swinton (2 mi), Tyldesley (3 mi) |
| Distance from Manchester | About 7 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 Walkden
- Larger fields and blocks on the edge of towns and villages
- 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
If your land could be allocated in a future local plan, an option keeps it moving towards development without you funding the work.
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.
Term
How long we have to secure permission and exercise the option.
Exercise triggers
What has to happen before we can buy.
Land near Walkden that an option agreement suits
Land with planning permission in Walkden
Rarely needed once consent exists, but can suit phased sites.
Large strategic sites in Walkden
The usual route: an option fee now and a price based on market value later.
Land for affordable homes in Walkden
Useful while housing need is evidenced and a scheme is prepared.
Landlocked land and access problems in Walkden
Useful while access is negotiated with neighbours.
What happens next
Send us the address
A postcode, a plan or a what3words location is enough to start.
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.
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'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
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Photos of the land and its access
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
Common questions
Do I keep the option fee if you don't buy?
Normally, yes. The terms are set out in the agreement.
How long do options last?
It varies with the site. Several years is typical for land needing local plan allocation, often with extension rights.
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 Walkden?
Yes. Villages between Walkden, Farnworth and Swinton often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
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 Walkden
- Option agreements in Greater Manchester
Ready to talk about your land in Walkden?
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.