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Sell land subject to planning in Ely

If you own land in or around Ely, subject-to-planning sale is one of four ways you can sell it to us. Here's how it works and when it makes sense.

A subject-to-planning sale, or conditional contract, is a sale where contracts are exchanged now but completion only happens once an acceptable planning permission is granted. It lets you agree a price based on the land's value with permission, while the buyer pays for and manages the application.

  • No pressure to decide
  • Independent advice encouraged
  • We fund the planning work

Get an offer for land in Ely

Send the postcode and a rough size.

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

Where Ely sits

From Ely, it's 11 miles to Mildenhall and 12 miles to Newmarket. We buy land across that whole stretch of Cambridgeshire, not only within the town.

TownEly
CountyCambridgeshire
CountryEngland
Postcode districtCB7
OS grid squareTL58
Nearest towns we coverMildenhall (11 mi), Newmarket (12 mi), March (13 mi)
Distance from PeterboroughAbout 25 miles south-east
Planning systemNational Planning Policy Framework and local plan
When you're paidOn completion, after permission is granted
Planning costsOurs
Land surveyor with a GNSS survey pole in a grass field next to a hedgerow

Is a subject-to-planning sale right for your land?

  • Small sites with a clear planning case
  • Land where a previous permission has lapsed
  • Brownfield sites needing a housing permission
  • Sites where the planning period can be agreed in advance

This route suits most building plots, garden land and small sites, where the planning process can be measured in months rather than years.

How the money works

Long-stop date

If permission isn't granted by an agreed date, either side can end the contract.

Acceptable permission

The contract defines what counts as an acceptable consent.

Appeals

Contracts say whether we can appeal a refusal and how long that adds.

Your use meanwhile

You normally keep using the land until completion.

Land near Ely that a subject-to-planning sale suits

Land with planning permission in Ely

Useful if you want us to improve or renew the permission before completion.

Building plots in Ely

We buy once permission is granted for an agreed scheme.

Garden land and backland in Ely

The usual route for garden land: we complete when permission is granted.

Inherited and probate land in Ely

Possible if beneficiaries are happy to wait for a higher price.

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. The legal work

    Your solicitor and ours handle the contract through to completion.

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.

Awkward details we deal with

You want to know what 'acceptable' permission means

The contract defines it, such as a minimum number of homes. Your solicitor should check it carefully.

You're worried we'll get permission for something you don't like

The contract can set out the scheme or limits on what we apply for.

Useful to send us

  • The address or postcode
  • A rough size, in acres or hectares
  • Your title number, if you know it
  • Details of any tenants or grazing agreements

What people ask us about a subject-to-planning sale

What happens if planning is refused?

We may appeal if the contract allows. If permission isn't secured by the long-stop date, the contract ends and you keep your land.

Can I still use the land before completion?

Usually yes, until we need access for surveys or until completion.

Do I get a deposit?

A deposit is usually paid on exchange, with terms set out in the contract.

How do I get an offer for land in Ely?

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 Ely

Other land types and routes

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

A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.

Get an offerCall 0800 088 6248