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Option agreements for land in Keighley

For owners in Keighley and the BD21 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.

  • No commission: we're the buyer
  • Figures explained, so you can check them
  • Independent advice encouraged

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Keighley at a glance

Keighley (BD21) sits in OS grid square SE04, roughly 15 miles west of Leeds. Sites between here and Shipley or Bradford are just as much of interest to us.

Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield and Halifax, with green belt between the towns and Pennine moorland to the west.

TownKeighley
CountyWest Yorkshire
CountryEngland
Postcode districtBD21
OS grid squareSE04
Nearest towns we coverShipley (6 mi), Guiseley (8 mi), Bradford (8 mi)
Distance from LeedsAbout 15 miles west
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

When an option agreement suits land near Keighley

  • Larger fields and blocks on the edge of towns and villages
  • Land being considered in a local plan review
  • Land needing access or infrastructure to be unlocked
  • 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.

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.

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.

How a sale works

  1. Send us the address

    A postcode, a plan or a what3words location is enough to start.

  2. We check it properly

    Title, planning history, access, flood maps and local policy.

  3. We put an offer in writing

    It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.

  4. Solicitors complete the sale

    Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.

Planning and legal points for land in West Yorkshire

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'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 rough size, in acres or hectares
  • A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
  • Your title number, if you know it
  • 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 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.

How do I get an offer for land in Keighley?

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.

Get a straight answer about your land

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