Option agreements for land in Whitstable
We offer an option agreement on land across Kent, including sites around Whitstable, Herne Bay and Canterbury.
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.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- We fund the planning work
Get an offer for land in Whitstable
We'll check the title and planning, then call you.
Land around Whitstable
From Whitstable, it's 5 miles to Herne Bay and 6 miles to Canterbury. We buy land across that whole stretch of Kent, not only within the town.
Metropolitan Green Belt in the west, the Kent Downs and High Weald National Landscapes, and growth around Ashford, Maidstone and the Medway towns.
| Town | Whitstable |
|---|---|
| County | Kent |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | CT5 |
| OS grid square | TR16 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Herne Bay (5 mi), Canterbury (6 mi), Faversham (7 mi) |
| Distance from Maidstone | About 23 miles 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 |
Is an option agreement right for your land?
- Larger fields and blocks on the edge of towns and villages
- Land being considered in a local plan review
- 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.
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.
Exercise triggers
What has to happen before we can buy.
Land near Whitstable that an option agreement suits
Green belt and grey belt land in Whitstable
Common for green belt land promoted through a local plan review.
Barns and rural buildings in Whitstable
Less common for single buildings but can suit whole farmyards.
Redundant commercial and industrial land in Whitstable
Useful where vacant possession is some way off.
Landlocked land and access problems in Whitstable
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.
You get a written offer
With the main figures behind it, so your adviser can check it.
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.
Awkward details we deal with
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 plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Any planning applications or letters
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
What people ask us about an option agreement
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.
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.
Do you cover the villages around Whitstable?
Yes. Villages between Whitstable, Herne Bay and Canterbury 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 Whitstable
- Option agreements in Kent
Find out what we'd pay for your land near Whitstable
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.