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Option agreements for land in Melton Mowbray

Before you agree an option agreement on land near Melton Mowbray, it helps to know exactly when you'd be paid, who carries the planning risk and how the price is set.

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
  • No commission: we're the buyer
  • No pressure to decide

Selling land near Melton Mowbray?

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Free and no obligation. We're the buyer, so there's no commission.

Where Melton Mowbray sits

Melton Mowbray lies in Leicestershire, about 14 miles north-east of Leicester. Nearby, we also look at land around Oakham (9 miles), Humberstone (12 miles) and Loughborough (13 miles).

Largely lowland farmland and growing towns. Unlike many Midlands counties, Leicestershire has no designated green belt.

TownMelton Mowbray
CountyLeicestershire
CountryEngland
Postcode districtLE13
OS grid squareSK71
Nearest towns we coverOakham (9 mi), Humberstone (12 mi), Loughborough (13 mi)
Distance from LeicesterAbout 14 miles north-east
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
  • 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

If your land could be allocated in a future local plan, an option keeps it moving towards development without you funding the work.

The terms that matter

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.

Deductions

Which planning and infrastructure costs come off the price before you're paid.

Your obligations

Agreements set what you can and can't do with the land in the meantime.

How a sale works

  1. Tell us about your land

    Send the postcode or address and a rough size.

  2. We check it properly

    Title, planning history, access, flood maps and local policy.

  3. We put an offer in writing

    It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.

  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

  • 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

Your questions answered

How long do options last?

It varies with the site. Several years is typical for land needing local plan allocation, often with extension rights.

Can I sell to someone else during the option?

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

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 buy land in Melton Mowbray?

Yes. We consider land in and around Melton Mowbray and across Leicestershire. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.

Ready to talk about your land in Melton Mowbray?

Send the postcode and a rough size. We'll check the title and planning position and come back to you.