Option agreements for land in Taunton
If you own land in or around Taunton, 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.
- Figures explained, so you can check them
- No pressure to decide
- Independent advice encouraged
Get an offer for land in Taunton
We'll check the title and planning, then call you.
Land around Taunton
Land around Taunton falls under England's planning system. The closest towns we also cover are Bridgwater, 9 miles away, and Burnham-on-Sea, 16 miles away, and Bath is 41 miles away.
The Levels and Moors, where flooding and nutrient rules are major planning issues, plus Exmoor, the Mendip Hills, and green belt around Bath.
| Town | Taunton |
|---|---|
| County | Somerset |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | TA1 |
| OS grid square | ST22 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Bridgwater (9 mi), Burnham-on-Sea (16 mi), Tiverton (19 mi) |
| Distance from Bath | About 41 miles south-west |
| 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
- 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
If your land could be allocated in a future local plan, an option keeps it moving towards development without you funding the work.
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.
Your obligations
Agreements set what you can and can't do with the land in the meantime.
Land near Taunton that an option agreement suits
Garage sites in Taunton
Rarely needed unless several garage owners are involved.
Brownfield land in Taunton
Can suit larger brownfield sites with a longer planning route.
Inherited and probate land in Taunton
Can suit families who want to hold on while planning is explored.
Landlocked land and access problems in Taunton
Useful while access is negotiated with neighbours.
What happens next
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.
You get a written offer
With the main figures behind it, so your adviser can check it.
Solicitors complete the sale
Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.
Planning and legal points for land in Somerset
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'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
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Your title number, if you know it
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
Your questions answered
Do I keep the option fee if you don't buy?
Normally, yes. The terms are set out in the agreement.
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.
Do you cover the villages around Taunton?
Yes. Villages between Taunton, Bridgwater and Burnham-on-Sea often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
Other land in Taunton
- 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 Taunton
- Option agreements in Somerset
Get a straight answer about your land
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.