Sell land subject to planning in Runcorn
Before you agree a subject-to-planning sale on land near Runcorn, it helps to know exactly when you'd be paid, who carries the planning risk and how the price is set.
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 commission: we're the buyer
- Independent advice encouraged
- We fund the planning work
Tell us about your land
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Where Runcorn sits
The land we're most interested in near Runcorn sits on the edge of the built-up area or in the villages towards Widnes (1 mile) and Halewood (4 miles).
Dairy farmland and market towns, with green belt separating Cheshire's towns from the Merseyside and Manchester conurbations.
| Town | Runcorn |
|---|---|
| County | Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | WA7 |
| OS grid square | SJ58 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Widnes (1 mi), Halewood (4 mi), Speke (5 mi) |
| Distance from Warrington | About 7 miles south-west |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| When you're paid | On completion, after permission is granted |
| Planning costs | Ours |
Is a subject-to-planning sale right for your land?
- Building plots and garden land without permission
- Land where a previous permission has lapsed
- Land with a registered title
- 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
Price basis
The price is set against the land's value with permission, so it's usually higher than an unconditional offer.
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.
Your use meanwhile
You normally keep using the land until completion.
Land near Runcorn that a subject-to-planning sale suits
Land with planning permission in Runcorn
Useful if you want us to improve or renew the permission before completion.
Green belt and grey belt land in Runcorn
Suits brownfield green belt sites where a scheme can be tested quickly.
Small sites in Runcorn
The most common route for small unconsented sites.
Brownfield land in Runcorn
We complete once permission is granted for a housing scheme.
How a sale works
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.
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.
Common problems, and how we handle them
You're worried about being tied up indefinitely
A long-stop date sets the maximum time. If permission isn't granted by then, you're free.
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.
Useful to send us
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- Any planning applications or letters
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- Photos of the land and its access
Common questions
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.
How long does the planning stage take?
In England the statutory period is eight weeks for most applications and thirteen for major ones; in Wales it's eight weeks. Both extend to sixteen weeks where an environmental impact assessment is needed, and surveys, validation and negotiation often add time.
Do you buy land in Runcorn?
Yes. We consider land in and around Runcorn and across Cheshire. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.
More land we buy in Runcorn
- 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
- Option agreements
- Joint ventures
- All land in Runcorn
- Subject-to-planning sale in Cheshire
Ready to talk about your land in Runcorn?
Send the postcode and a rough size. We'll check the title and planning position and come back to you.