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Option agreements for land in Southport

If you own land near Southport, 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 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.

  • No commission: we're the buyer
  • Figures explained, so you can check them
  • We fund the planning work

Get an offer for land in Southport

We'll check the title and planning, then call you.

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

Where Southport sits

The land we're most interested in near Southport sits on the edge of the built-up area or in the villages towards Formby (7 miles) and Lytham St Annes (7 miles).

TownSouthport
CountyMerseyside
CountryEngland
Postcode districtPR8
OS grid squareSD31
Nearest towns we coverFormby (7 mi), Lytham St Annes (7 mi), Ormskirk (8 mi)
Distance from LiverpoolAbout 16 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
  • Owners happy to wait several years for a higher price
  • Land needing access or infrastructure to be unlocked
  • Owners who want to keep farming until development

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.

What to check in an option agreement

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.

Exercise triggers

What has to happen before we can buy.

Land near Southport that an option agreement suits

Development land in Southport

Suits larger fields where the planning route may take several years.

Infill plots and gap sites in Southport

Seldom needed for single infill plots.

Brownfield land in Southport

Can suit larger brownfield sites with a longer planning route.

Landlocked land and access problems in Southport

Useful while access is negotiated with neighbours.

From first call to completion

  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.

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

  • Your title number, if you know it
  • 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

Do I keep the option fee if you don't buy?

Normally, yes. The terms are set out in the agreement.

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.

How do I get an offer for land in Southport?

Use the form on this page or call 0800 088 6248. Tell us the postcode, the rough size and anything you know about planning, and we'll come back to you.

Also near Southport

More land we buy in Southport

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

Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.

Get an offerCall 0800 088 6248