Land Promotion Agreements in Glasgow
Promotion agreements are often used for larger sites in Glasgow 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.
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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 Glasgow
Glasgow is the main town we cover in Glasgow & the Clyde, centred on postcode district G1. The nearest other places we cover are Rutherglen (3 miles), Bishopbriggs (3 miles) and Bearsden (5 miles).
Around Glasgow we look at farmland next to the settlement boundary, backland plots with a workable access and former garage blocks and yards. Because Glasgow is in Scotland, land titles are registered with Registers of Scotland (Land Register of Scotland) and transfers attract Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT).
Tell us where your land is around Glasgow and we will explain the routes open to you.
Our approach in Glasgow
Strategic planning work
Larger sites often need representations to the development plan, studies on transport, drainage and ecology, and engagement with the local community. We manage that work and report progress to you.
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.
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.
How the rules work in Glasgow
Scottish land deals differ from the rest of the UK in a few ways: contracts are concluded by missives, consent in principle is called planning permission in principle, and developer contributions use Section 75 agreements. Land to Homes works within those rules around Glasgow, whether buying a suitable site directly with no onward chain, subject to survey, title and contract, or promoting it through planning with nothing to pay upfront. Planning permission is never guaranteed, so we explain the risks plainly.
In Scotland, promotion usually targets allocation in the Local Development Plan, followed by an application for planning permission in principle. Any Section 75 agreement is registered against the title. Because Scots law treats the agreement as a personal contract, the promoter's interest may be secured by a standard security, and the eventual sale is concluded by missives.
| National planning policy | National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), which forms part of the statutory development plan |
|---|---|
| Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer) | Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) |
| How a sale becomes binding | Land sales are concluded through missives, formal letters exchanged between solicitors that become a binding contract once concluded, followed by settlement on the date of entry and registration in the Land Register of Scotland. |
| Developer contributions | Section 75 planning obligations, with Section 69 agreements sometimes used for simple one-off payments |
Your questions answered for Glasgow
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.
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.
How does a land promotion agreement work?
The landowner and promoter sign an agreement for a set term. The promoter funds and runs the planning process. If permission is granted, the land is sold on the open market, provided offers meet an agreed minimum price. From the proceeds, the promoter recovers its costs and takes an agreed fee, and the landowner receives the balance.
Can a promotion agreement cover land owned by several people?
Yes. Neighbours, family members or trustees can sign one agreement, or linked agreements, often with a separate arrangement for sharing proceeds between them. This makes it easier to bring forward a larger site with a single planning strategy. Our land assembly page explains how sharing usually works.
Do you work with landowners in Glasgow?
We do. We work with landowners in Glasgow and elsewhere in Glasgow & the Clyde, including Newton Mearns, Paisley and Bishopbriggs. Send us a postcode and we will start with a free, no-obligation appraisal of what the land could take.
Read more: Land Promotion Agreements · Guide: Tax when selling land for development