Sell land subject to planning in Billingham
For owners in Billingham and the TS23 area, a subject-to-planning sale is worth understanding before you talk to any buyer, including us.
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
- No pressure to decide
- Independent advice encouraged
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Land around Billingham
Land around Billingham falls under England's planning system. The closest towns we also cover are Stockton-on-Tees, 2 miles away, and Middlesbrough, 2 miles away, and Darlington is 11 miles away.
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.
| Town | Billingham |
|---|---|
| County | County Durham |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | TS23 |
| OS grid square | NZ42 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Stockton-on-Tees (2 mi), Middlesbrough (2 mi), Thornaby-on-Tees (4 mi) |
| Distance from Darlington | About 11 miles north-east |
| 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
- Small sites with a clear planning case
- Brownfield sites needing a housing permission
- Owners willing to wait for a higher price
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.
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.
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 near Billingham that a subject-to-planning sale suits
Land with planning permission in Billingham
Useful if you want us to improve or renew the permission before completion.
Large strategic sites in Billingham
A fixed or formula price paid once an acceptable permission is granted.
Green belt and grey belt land in Billingham
Suits brownfield green belt sites where a scheme can be tested quickly.
Farmland and agricultural land in Billingham
Higher price paid when permission is granted on the field.
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.
We put an offer in writing
It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.
The legal work
Your solicitor and ours handle the contract through to completion.
Planning and legal points for land in County Durham
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 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 plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Your title number, if you know it
- Any planning applications or letters
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.
Do I get a deposit?
A deposit is usually paid on exchange, with terms set out in the contract.
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 cover the villages around Billingham?
Yes. Villages between Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees and Middlesbrough often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
Other land in Billingham
- 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 Billingham
- Subject-to-planning sale in County Durham
Find out what we'd pay for your land near Billingham
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.