Option agreements for land in Skelmersdale
If you own land near Skelmersdale, 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.
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.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
- We fund the planning work
Get an offer for land in Skelmersdale
We'll check the title and planning, then call you.
Where Skelmersdale sits
Skelmersdale (WN8) sits in OS grid square SD40, some 15 miles south of Preston. Sites between here and Ormskirk or Kirkby are just as much of interest to us.
Farmland on the coastal plain, the Forest of Bowland National Landscape inland, and green belt around Preston, Blackpool and the east Lancashire towns.
| Town | Skelmersdale |
|---|---|
| County | Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | WN8 |
| OS grid square | SD40 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Ormskirk (5 mi), Wigan (6 mi), Kirkby (7 mi) |
| Distance from Preston | About 15 miles south |
| 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 Skelmersdale
- Land being considered in a local plan review
- Land needing access or infrastructure to be unlocked
- 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.
The terms that matter
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.
Your obligations
Agreements set what you can and can't do with the land in the meantime.
Land near Skelmersdale that an option agreement suits
Land with planning permission in Skelmersdale
Rarely needed once consent exists, but can suit phased sites.
Building plots in Skelmersdale
Rarely needed for single plots.
Brownfield land in Skelmersdale
Can suit larger brownfield sites with a longer planning route.
Landlocked land and access problems in Skelmersdale
Useful while access is negotiated with neighbours.
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.
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
- The address or postcode
- 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
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.
How long do options last?
It varies with the site. Several years is typical for land needing local plan allocation, often with extension rights.
Do you buy land in Skelmersdale?
Yes. We consider land in and around Skelmersdale and across Lancashire. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.
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 Skelmersdale
- Option agreements in Lancashire
Ready to talk about your land in Skelmersdale?
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.