Sell land subject to planning in Bishops Stortford
Choosing how to sell matters as much as choosing who to sell to. For land near Bishops Stortford, a subject-to-planning sale trades certainty and timing in a particular way.
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.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- No pressure to decide
Selling land near Bishops Stortford?
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Land around Bishops Stortford
Our appraisals for Bishops Stortford start with the CM23 postcode district and the OS grid square TL42, then widen out to Harlow, Hoddesdon and Hertford, all within about 11 miles.
Most of the county is Metropolitan Green Belt, which makes land with genuine development prospects scarce and keenly contested.
| Town | Bishops Stortford |
|---|---|
| County | Hertfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | CM23 |
| OS grid square | TL42 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Harlow (7 mi), Hoddesdon (10 mi), Hertford (11 mi) |
| Distance from Watford | About 28 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 |
When a subject-to-planning sale suits land near Bishops Stortford
- Building plots and garden land without permission
- Small sites with a clear planning case
- Brownfield sites needing a housing permission
- Land with a registered title
This route suits most building plots, garden land and small sites, where the planning process can be measured in months rather than years.
What to check in a subject-to-planning sale
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.
Price adjustments
Some contracts adjust the price for the number of homes approved.
Your use meanwhile
You normally keep using the land until completion.
Land near Bishops Stortford that a subject-to-planning sale suits
Green belt and grey belt land in Bishops Stortford
Suits brownfield green belt sites where a scheme can be tested quickly.
Land for affordable homes in Bishops Stortford
The usual route: we agree a price and complete when permission is granted.
Paddocks and equestrian land in Bishops Stortford
We complete once homes are approved on the paddock.
Inherited and probate land in Bishops Stortford
Possible if beneficiaries are happy to wait for a higher price.
From first call to completion
Send us the address
A postcode, a plan or a what3words location is enough to start.
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.
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 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
- 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.
Can I still use the land before completion?
Usually yes, until we need access for surveys or until completion.
How do I get an offer for land in Bishops Stortford?
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.
More land we buy in Bishops Stortford
- 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 Bishops Stortford
- Subject-to-planning sale in Hertfordshire
Get a straight answer about your land
Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.