Option agreements for land in St Helens
For owners in St Helens and the WA10 area, an option agreement is worth understanding before you talk to any buyer, including us.
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
- Independent advice encouraged
Get an offer for land in St Helens
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Land around St Helens
From St Helens, it's 3 miles to Prescot and 4 miles to Ashton-in-Makerfield. We buy land across that whole stretch of Merseyside, not only within the town.
Largely urban, with substantial brownfield land in Liverpool and the surrounding boroughs and green belt around the edges.
| Town | St Helens |
|---|---|
| County | Merseyside |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | WA10 |
| OS grid square | SJ59 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Prescot (3 mi), Ashton-in-Makerfield (4 mi), Huyton (5 mi) |
| Distance from Liverpool | About 10 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 |
Who an option agreement works best for
- Owners happy to wait several years for a higher price
- Holdings where several owners need to work together
- Land needing access or infrastructure to be unlocked
- Owners who want to keep farming until development
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
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 St Helens that an option agreement suits
Farmland and agricultural land in St Helens
Common for edge-of-town farmland promoted through the local plan.
Paddocks and equestrian land in St Helens
Useful where the paddock could form part of a wider site.
Barns and rural buildings in St Helens
Less common for single buildings but can suit whole farmyards.
Garden land and backland in St Helens
Useful when several neighbours' gardens are being assembled.
What happens next
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode or address and a rough size.
We do the homework
We read the title and planning record and check flood risk and access.
We put an offer in writing
It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.
The legal work
Your solicitor and ours handle the contract through to completion.
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.
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'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
- 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.
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.
How do I get an offer for land in St Helens?
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.
Option agreements near St Helens
Other land in St Helens
- 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 St Helens
- Option agreements in Merseyside
Get a straight answer about your land
Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.