Sell land subject to planning in County Durham
We offer a subject-to-planning sale on land across County Durham, including sites around Darlington, Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees.
If your land has a good chance of permission but doesn't have it yet, a subject-to-planning deal usually achieves more than an outright sale.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- No pressure to decide
Get an offer for land in County Durham
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Subject-to-planning sale in County Durham at a glance
Former coalfield villages in the east, the North Pennines National Landscape to the west, and green belt around Durham city linking with Tyne and Wear.
| County | County Durham |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Towns we cover here | 12 |
| Main town | Darlington |
| Example postcode districts | DH1, DH3, DH8, DH9, DL3 |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| When you're paid | On completion, after permission is granted |
| Timescale | Planning period, often months |
Is a subject-to-planning sale right for your land?
- Building plots and garden land without permission
- Small sites with a clear planning case
- Land where a previous permission has lapsed
- Land with a registered title
- Sites where the planning period can be agreed in advance
A conditional contract shares the planning risk fairly. You agree a price today, we fund and run the planning application, and the sale completes if permission comes through.
How the money works
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.
Deposit
A deposit is usually paid on exchange and held until completion.
Price adjustments
Some contracts adjust the price for the number of homes approved.
Land a subject-to-planning sale works for in County Durham
Land without planning permission in County Durham
We exchange contracts now and complete once permission is granted.
Green belt and grey belt land in County Durham
Suits brownfield green belt sites where a scheme can be tested quickly.
Paddocks and equestrian land in County Durham
We complete once homes are approved on the paddock.
Brownfield land in County Durham
We complete once permission is granted for a housing scheme.
Inherited and probate land in County Durham
Possible if beneficiaries are happy to wait for a higher price.
Landlocked land and access problems in County Durham
We complete once access and permission are secured.
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.
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.
When the land isn't straightforward
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 plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Your title number, if you know it
- Any planning applications or letters
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
Your questions answered
What is a subject-to-planning sale?
A sale where contracts are exchanged now, but completion depends on planning permission being granted. If it isn't granted by the long-stop date, the contract can end.
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.
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 County Durham?
Yes. We consider land across County Durham, from Darlington to the smaller towns and villages. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, and we'll tell you either way.
Subject-to-planning sale by town in County Durham
Find out what we'd pay for your land in County Durham
Send the postcode and a rough size and we'll come back with a straight answer.