Land Assembly and Access in Ely
Land assembly in Ely means bringing several pieces of land under one plan so they can be developed together. It might combine neighbouring gardens, separate fields, or a main site and the strip needed to reach the road. Land to Homes negotiates with each owner and sets up a fair, written way of sharing value.
Ely · CB7Free site appraisal
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- 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
Selling land around Ely
Ely sits about 25 miles south-east of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire, in the CB7 postcode district. If your land sits between towns, Newmarket, March and Cambridge are the closest neighbouring places on our list. Ely is in the East of England region of England.
Around Ely we look at infill gaps along existing streets, backland plots with a workable access and land behind street frontages. As Ely is in England, applications are judged against the National Planning Policy Framework, and the buyer of land pays Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).
Tell us where your land is around Ely and we will explain the routes open to you.
What we offer in Ely
Ransom strips identified
A ransom strip is land that controls access to a development site. We check titles and highway records to establish who owns every piece of land between your site and the public road.
Visibility splays secured
A new junction needs clear sightlines across land on either side. If any of that land is in other ownership, rights or a purchase are needed before the access can work.
Unregistered land traced
Some strips and verges have never been registered. We search the records and, where an owner cannot be traced, explain the options, which usually need specialist legal advice.
Deals to suit each owner
Different owners may want different routes: some prefer to sell outright, others an option or promotion. The structure can combine these within one plan for the whole area.
How the rules work in Ely
In England, most planning applications for new homes in Ely 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, new estate roads are usually adopted under a Section 38 agreement with the highway authority, with works to the existing road under a Section 278 agreement. Ownership is checked through HM Land Registry and local records. Where a Local Plan allocates a larger site across several ownerships, it may require a masterplan covering all of them.
| National planning policy | National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), revised August 2026, with national planning practice guidance |
|---|---|
| In-principle consent | Outline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later |
| Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer) | Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) |
| Land registration | HM Land Registry |
Land Assembly and Access in Ely: questions
How do I find out who owns a strip of land?
Registered land can be searched through the land registry for the relevant nation. Unregistered land is harder: old deeds, local knowledge, highway records and neighbours can all help. Where an owner genuinely cannot be found, there are legal options, but they need specialist advice and can add time.
What is a ransom strip?
A ransom strip is a piece of land, sometimes very narrow, that sits between a development site and the road or services it needs. Whoever owns it can block access or ask for a share of the value it unlocks. The amount is negotiated case by case. Our guide to ransom strips and access explains more.
Can the council force a neighbour to sell land for my development?
Generally no, for a private housing scheme. Councils have compulsory purchase powers for certain public purposes, but they are not a routine tool for individual developments. Most land assembly is achieved by agreement, which is why early, fair and well-documented negotiation matters so much.
Who pays the legal costs in a land assembly?
It depends on the structure. On option and promotion agreements with Land to Homes, we pay your reasonable legal fees, with the amount agreed up front in the heads of terms. For direct purchases and collaboration agreements, cost arrangements are agreed case by case and set out in writing.
Is Ely an area you cover for land?
Yes, we cover land in Ely and elsewhere in Cambridgeshire, including Huntingdon, March and Wisbech. Where a site suits us we can buy it directly, or set up an option or promotion agreement. On promotion there is nothing to pay upfront.
Read more: Land Assembly and Access · Guide: Ransom strips and access: what landowners need to know