Sell land subject to planning in Washington
If you own land in or around Washington, 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.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
Get an offer for land in Washington
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Where Washington sits
Land around Washington falls under England's planning system. The closest towns we also cover are Chester-le-Street, 4 miles away, and Felling, 4 miles away, and Newcastle upon Tyne is 6 miles away.
Newcastle, Sunderland, Gateshead and the surrounding boroughs, with brownfield land in the urban core and green belt on the fringe.
| Town | Washington |
|---|---|
| County | Tyne and Wear |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | NE37 |
| OS grid square | NZ35 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Chester-le-Street (4 mi), Felling (4 mi), Houghton-le-Spring (5 mi) |
| Distance from Newcastle upon Tyne | About 6 miles south-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
- Brownfield sites needing a housing permission
- 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.
Deposit
A deposit is usually paid on exchange and held until completion.
Your use meanwhile
You normally keep using the land until completion.
Land near Washington that a subject-to-planning sale suits
Land with planning permission in Washington
Useful if you want us to improve or renew the permission before completion.
Green belt and grey belt land in Washington
Suits brownfield green belt sites where a scheme can be tested quickly.
Infill plots and gap sites in Washington
The usual route for unconsented gap sites.
Garage sites in Washington
The most common route for garage courts.
What happens next
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode or address and a rough size.
We do the homework
We read the title and planning record and check flood risk and access.
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 Tyne and Wear
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
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
What people ask us about a subject-to-planning sale
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.
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 cover the villages around Washington?
Yes. Villages between Washington, Chester-le-Street and Felling often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
Other land in Washington
- 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 Washington
- Subject-to-planning sale in Tyne and Wear
Find out what we'd pay for your land near Washington
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.