Option agreements for land in Northumberland
For landowners in Northumberland, an option agreement is one of four ways to sell to us. Here's how it works there.
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
- Independent advice encouraged
- We fund the planning work
Get an offer for land in Northumberland
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Option agreements in Northumberland at a glance
Sparsely populated, with Northumberland National Park, the Northumberland Coast National Landscape, and green belt around the south-east towns near Tyneside.
| County | Northumberland |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Towns we cover here | 10 |
| Main town | Blyth |
| Example postcode districts | NE20, NE22, NE23, NE24, NE42 |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| When you're paid | Option fee now, price when the option is exercised |
| Timescale | Often several years |
Is an option agreement right for your land?
- Land being considered in a local plan review
- Owners happy to wait several years for a higher price
- Holdings where several owners need to work together
- 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
Purchase price
Often a percentage of market value with permission, less agreed costs.
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.
Your obligations
Agreements set what you can and can't do with the land in the meantime.
Land an option agreement works for in Northumberland
Land without planning permission in Northumberland
We pay for the right to buy later and fund the planning work meanwhile.
Green belt and grey belt land in Northumberland
Common for green belt land promoted through a local plan review.
Building plots in Northumberland
Rarely needed for single plots.
Garden land and backland in Northumberland
Useful when several neighbours' gardens are being assembled.
Garage sites in Northumberland
Rarely needed unless several garage owners are involved.
Redundant commercial and industrial land in Northumberland
Useful where vacant possession is some way off.
From first call to completion
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.
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.
Planning and legal points for land in Northumberland
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 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
- Any planning applications or letters
- Photos of the land and its access
Your questions answered
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 Northumberland?
Yes. We consider land across Northumberland, from Blyth to the smaller towns and villages. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, and we'll tell you either way.
Option agreements by town in Northumberland
Find out what we'd pay for your land in Northumberland
Send the postcode and a rough size and we'll come back with a straight answer.