Land Promotion Agreements in Magherafelt
Promotion agreements are often used for larger sites in Magherafelt that need a plan allocation or a major planning application. The agreement sets a term, a minimum price, the promoter's fee and how costs are recovered. Land to Homes explains each term in plain English and pays your reasonable legal fees, agreed up front in the heads of terms.
Magherafelt · BT45Free 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
Land we look at around Magherafelt
We cover Magherafelt as part of County Londonderry. It is about 33 miles south-east of Derry/Londonderry, around postcode district BT45. Nearby, we also cover Cookstown, Ballymena and Antrim, all within 16 miles.
Sites worth a conversation around Magherafelt: farmland next to the settlement boundary, redundant commercial buildings and brownfield land in and around Magherafelt. In Northern Ireland, where Magherafelt sits, planning decisions are made by the 11 district councils, with the Department for Infrastructure deciding regionally significant applications.
Tell us where your land is around Magherafelt and we will explain the routes open to you.
Why work with Land to Homes in Magherafelt
Minimum price agreed early
The agreement sets a floor below which you cannot be required to sell. Some agreements allow it to be reviewed by an independent surveyor if the market moves during the term.
Clear fee and cost rules
The heads of terms state the fee, which costs can be recovered and whether any cap applies, so you can see what will come out of the proceeds before you sign.
Planning work funded by us
Nothing to pay upfront: on promotion we fund the planning work. Those costs are recovered from the sale proceeds only if the land sells with planning, and the heads of terms set out exactly how that works.
Reasonable legal fees covered
We pay your reasonable legal fees on promotion agreements, with the amount agreed up front in the heads of terms. You choose your own solicitor to act for you.
Planning in Magherafelt: the Northern Irish rules
Permission in Principle, an English route, does not apply in Northern Ireland. Instead, landowners near Magherafelt usually seek outline or full planning permission from the council. Developer contributions are agreed under Section 76 of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, and there is no Community Infrastructure Levy. Land to Homes can take on that process through an option or promotion agreement, or buy a suitable site directly, subject to survey, title and contract.
In Northern Ireland, larger sites generally need zoning for housing in the council's local policies plan, which follows its adopted plan strategy. Regionally significant proposals are decided by the Department for Infrastructure. Promotion work should allow for Section 76 obligations, DfI Roads requirements and wastewater capacity, which can be a constraint in parts of Northern Ireland.
| National planning policy | Strategic Planning Policy Statement (SPPS, Edition 2), applied with retained Planning Policy Statements until each council adopts its Plan Strategy |
|---|---|
| In-principle consent | Outline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later |
| How a sale becomes binding | A land sale becomes legally binding when contracts signed by both parties are exchanged and finishes on completion, with the title registered in the Land Registry at Land & Property Services. |
| Developer contributions | Section 76 planning agreements under the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 (there is no Community Infrastructure Levy) |
Your questions answered for Magherafelt
Is a promotion agreement better than an option?
Neither is better in every case. Promotion often suits larger sites where open-market competition is likely to drive the price and the landowner wants transparency. An option can suit smaller or more complex sites where one committed buyer matters more. Our guide to option and promotion agreements compares the two.
Will I have a say over who buys the land?
Usually, yes. Promotion agreements typically involve the landowner in agreeing the marketing approach and the choice of buyer, subject to the minimum price. Where several bids meet the minimum, the agreement sets out how the preferred bid is chosen and what happens if the parties disagree.
What fee does a land promoter take?
The fee is usually a share of the sale proceeds, sometimes calculated after costs are deducted and sometimes capped. There is no standard rate: it depends on the size of the site, the planning risk and the costs involved. Ask for the fee and the cost rules to be set out clearly in the heads of terms.
Who pays if the planning application fails?
On a Land to Homes promotion agreement there is nothing to pay upfront. We fund the planning work, and our costs are recovered from the sale proceeds only if the land sells with planning. How costs are treated in every scenario is written into the heads of terms before you sign anything.
Is Magherafelt an area you cover for land?
Yes, we cover land in Magherafelt and elsewhere in County Londonderry, including Derry/Londonderry, Limavady and Coleraine. 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 Promotion Agreements · Guide: Option agreement or promotion agreement: what is the difference?