Sell land subject to planning in Worthing
If you own land in or around Worthing, 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.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Independent advice encouraged
- We fund the planning work
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Where Worthing sits
Our appraisals for Worthing start with the BN11 postcode district and the OS grid square TQ10, then widen out to Shoreham-by-Sea, Portslade and Littlehampton, all within about 7 miles.
The South Downs National Park, Chichester Harbour and High Weald National Landscapes, and water neutrality rules that have affected new homes in the north of the county.
| Town | Worthing |
|---|---|
| County | West Sussex |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | BN11 |
| OS grid square | TQ10 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Shoreham-by-Sea (5 mi), Portslade (7 mi), Littlehampton (7 mi) |
| Distance from Crawley | About 22 miles south |
| 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?
- Land where a previous permission has lapsed
- Brownfield sites needing a housing permission
- Owners willing to wait for a higher price
- 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
Price basis
The price is set against the land's value with permission, so it's usually higher than an unconditional offer.
Acceptable permission
The contract defines what counts as an acceptable consent.
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 Worthing that a subject-to-planning sale suits
Land with planning permission in Worthing
Useful if you want us to improve or renew the permission before completion.
Small sites in Worthing
The most common route for small unconsented sites.
Garage sites in Worthing
The most common route for garage courts.
Landlocked land and access problems in Worthing
We complete once access and permission are secured.
What happens next
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.
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
- The address or postcode
- Your title number, if you know it
- Any planning applications or letters
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
Questions from landowners near Worthing
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 Worthing?
Yes. We consider land in and around Worthing and across West Sussex. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.
Other land types and routes
- Development land
- Land with planning permission
- Land without planning permission
- Large strategic sites
- 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 Worthing
- Subject-to-planning sale in West Sussex
Ready to talk about your land in Worthing?
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.