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Option agreements for land in Scunthorpe

If you own land in or around Scunthorpe, option agreements is one of four ways you can sell it to us. Here's how it works and when it makes sense.

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
  • We fund the planning work

Selling land near Scunthorpe?

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

Where Scunthorpe sits

Our appraisals for Scunthorpe start with the DN15 postcode district and the OS grid square SE81, then widen out to Brough, Goole and Scalby, all within about 13 miles.

A large arable county with the Lincolnshire Wolds National Landscape and wide low-lying areas where flood risk guides new building.

TownScunthorpe
CountyLincolnshire
CountryEngland
Postcode districtDN15
OS grid squareSE81
Nearest towns we coverBrough (11 mi), Goole (13 mi), Scalby (13 mi)
Distance from LincolnAbout 25 miles north
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

  • 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
  • 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

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.

Deductions

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

What happens next

  1. Tell us about your land

    Send the postcode or address and a rough size.

  2. We do the homework

    We read the title and planning record and check flood risk and access.

  3. You get a written offer

    With the main figures behind it, so your adviser can check it.

  4. 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.

When the land isn't straightforward

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

  • Your title number, if you know it
  • Any planning applications or letters
  • Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
  • Photos of the land and its access

Questions from landowners near Scunthorpe

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 Scunthorpe?

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

Find out what we'd pay for your land near Scunthorpe

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