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For landowners · Greater London

Land Assembly and Access in Welling

How are land assembly and access solved in Welling?

When several owners in Welling each hold part of a developable area, nobody wants their land to become the road while a neighbour gets the houses. An equalisation agreement solves that by sharing proceeds by area, not by layout. Land to Homes can coordinate the owners, the planning strategy and the access as one package.

Development surveyor walking a field boundary hedge with a tabletWelling · DA16

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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 Welling

We cover Welling as part of Greater London. It is about 11 miles east of London, around postcode district DA16. Close by, our coverage also takes in Bexley, Eltham and Thamesmead. Welling is in the London region of England.

Around Welling we look at land that already has planning permission, land behind street frontages and farmland next to the settlement boundary. As Welling is in England, applications are judged against the National Planning Policy Framework, and the buyer of land pays Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).

Send us a postcode in or near DA16 and we will start with a free desktop appraisal.

Our approach in Welling

Equalisation between owners

A collaboration or equalisation agreement shares proceeds by area or agreed proportion, so it does not matter whose land ends up as roads, open space or homes in the final layout.

Highway boundaries checked

The adopted highway does not always reach your boundary. We ask the highway authority for its records, because a narrow unadopted verge can change the access position completely.

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.

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.

Planning in Welling: the English rules

Land with no planning permission can still be sold. Around Welling, the usual routes in England are a direct sale, an option agreement or a promotion agreement, where the planning work is funded for you and the land is sold once consent is granted. Outline planning permission settles the principle, with reserved matters approved later. Section 106 obligations, the Community Infrastructure Levy where charged and biodiversity net gain all affect what a site is worth, so independent advice matters.

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.

Key rules in Welling
National planning policyNational Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), revised August 2026, with national planning practice guidance
Land registrationHM Land Registry
How a sale becomes bindingA land sale becomes legally binding on exchange of contracts and finishes on completion, after which the buyer registers the title with HM Land Registry.
Developer contributionsSection 106 planning obligations, plus the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) where the council charges it

Land Assembly and Access in Welling: questions

What is a visibility splay?

A visibility splay is the area of land either side of a junction that must be kept clear so drivers can see approaching traffic. Its size depends on road speeds and the highway authority's standards. If part of the splay is owned by someone else, the scheme needs their agreement before the access can work.

What if my access crosses a public footpath?

A footpath crossing does not usually prevent access, but the design must keep the path safe and usable. If the layout needs the path to move, a formal diversion order is required, which is a separate legal process that members of the public can object to.

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.

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.

Do you work with landowners in Welling?

We do. We work with landowners in Welling and elsewhere in Greater London, including Shepherds Bush, Putney and Enfield Town. Send us a postcode and we will start with a free, no-obligation appraisal of what the land could take.

Read more: Land Assembly and Access · Guide: Ransom strips and access: what landowners need to know

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.

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