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For landowners · Greater Manchester

Sell Garden Land and Backland in Prestwich

Can I sell part of my garden for development in Prestwich?

Garden land and backland in Prestwich means plots taken from large gardens or land sitting behind existing houses, often with no road frontage of its own. It can take one home or a small group, but only if there is safe access and the new homes would not harm neighbours' privacy or the character of the street. We assess both first.

Landowner and surveyor at a wooden field gate looking over a paddock behind town gardensPrestwich · M25

Free site appraisal

Tell us about your land and we will call you back. No cost, no obligation.

Prefer to talk? Call 0800 088 6248.

  • Free site appraisalNo cost, no obligation
  • Legal fees coveredReasonable fees, on options and promotion
  • Nothing to pay upfrontOn promotion: we fund planning
  • Direct purchaseSuitable sites, with or without planning
  • UK-wideEngland, Wales, Scotland and NI

Our coverage in Prestwich

Prestwich sits about 4 miles north-west of Manchester in Greater Manchester, in the M25 postcode district. Whitefield is the closest neighbouring place we cover, at about 1 mile, followed by Radcliffe and Salford. Prestwich is part of England’s North West region.

In and around Prestwich, the land we appraise ranges from infill gaps along existing streets to fields put forward or allocated in the local plan, including redundant agricultural buildings. In England, where Prestwich sits, planning decisions are made by the local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority).

If you own land near Prestwich, the first step is a free, no-obligation appraisal.

Our approach in Prestwich

Trees and ecology checked

Mature gardens can hold protected trees, bats in outbuildings or nesting birds. We check tree preservation orders and conservation area status, and plan any surveys for the right season.

Option and promotion routes

If the plot needs planning first, an option or promotion agreement lets us fund the application. On both, we pay your reasonable legal fees, with the amount agreed up front in the heads of terms.

Your retained house matters

Selling part of a garden changes the house you keep: outside space, parking, privacy and value. We look at any scheme from your side as well as from the buyer's.

Neighbours can combine

Where several gardens adjoin, a joint scheme with one shared access is often more workable than separate plots. A collaboration agreement can share proceeds fairly between the owners involved.

Rules that apply in Prestwich

In England, most planning applications for new homes in Prestwich are decided by the local planning authority, usually the council, using its Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework. Many landowners sell without planning, either outright or through an option or promotion agreement that funds the application first. Land to Homes offers a free site appraisal, pays your reasonable legal fees on option and promotion agreements, and can buy suitable sites directly, subject to survey, title and contract.

In England, the NPPF excludes private residential gardens in built-up areas from its definition of previously developed land, and many Local Plans have specific garden development policies. Recent changes exempt many very small sites from biodiversity net gain, subject to conditions. Restrictive covenants can be modified or discharged by the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber).

Key rules in Prestwich
Who decides applicationsThe local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority)
In-principle consentOutline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later
Land registrationHM Land Registry
Developer contributionsSection 106 planning obligations, plus the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) where the council charges it

Questions about Sell Garden Land and Backland in Prestwich

What is backland development?

Backland development means building homes on land behind an existing row of houses, usually reached by a new access running between them. Many councils have specific policy on it, focused on access, privacy, the character of the area and avoiding piecemeal schemes that would block a better-planned layout later.

How wide does an access drive need to be for a new house?

There is no single figure for the whole UK. The local highway authority's design guidance sets widths for private drives, passing places and visibility at the junction, and building regulations cover access for fire service vehicles. We check the standards your council applies before estimating what a plot could take.

Can I sell part of my garden to a developer?

Yes, if the land can support a new home with safe access and acceptable impact on neighbours. The land is split from your title and sold with rights of way and services set out in the transfer. If your house is mortgaged, your lender will need to consent and release the part being sold.

Do I pay Capital Gains Tax when I sell garden land?

Possibly. Private Residence Relief can cover part of a garden in some circumstances, but the size of the garden and the order and timing of sales can affect it. Selling the garden after you have sold the house, for example, may change the position. Speak to an accountant before agreeing terms.

Do you buy land in Prestwich?

Yes. Land to Homes looks at land in Prestwich and elsewhere in Greater Manchester, including Atherton, Failsworth and Altrincham. Every enquiry starts with a free site appraisal, and on option and promotion agreements we pay your reasonable legal fees.

Read more: Sell Garden Land and Backland · Guide: Overage and clawback: how they work when you sell land

Own land that could take new homes?

Start with a free, no-obligation site appraisal. On option and promotion agreements we fund the planning work and pay your reasonable legal fees.

CallFree appraisal