Part of the S&K Group · Land, planning and new homesEngland · Wales · Scotland · Northern Ireland0800 088 6248
Land to Homes emblem: two house roofs over green fieldsLANDTOHOMES
For landowners · Greater London

Land Promotion Agreements in Finchley

How does land promotion work in Finchley?

Promotion agreements are often used for larger sites in Finchley 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.

Aerial view of long rear gardens behind 1930s semi-detached houses backing onto a paddockFinchley · N3

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 Finchley

We cover Finchley as part of Greater London. It is about 7 miles north-west of London, around postcode district N3. If your land sits between towns, Muswell Hill, Cricklewood and Kilburn are the closest neighbouring places on our list. Finchley is part of England’s London region.

Around Finchley we look at infill gaps along existing streets, fields put forward or allocated in the local plan and small holdings and pony paddocks. Because Finchley is in England, land titles are registered with HM Land Registry and transfers attract Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).

A postcode and a rough boundary are enough for us to start a free appraisal of land near Finchley.

What you get in Finchley

Interests aligned on price

The promoter's fee is linked to the sale price, so we only do well if you do. That is the main difference from an option, where the buyer benefits from a lower valuation.

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.

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.

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.

How the rules work in Finchley

In England, most planning applications for new homes in Finchley 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, promotion usually focuses on getting land allocated in a Local Plan, or permitted where the council cannot show enough land for housing. Larger schemes often go in as outline applications, and the heads of terms should explain how Section 106 obligations, the Community Infrastructure Levy and biodiversity net gain costs affect the net proceeds.

Key rules in Finchley
In-principle consentOutline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later
Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer)Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT)
Land registrationHM Land Registry
Developer contributionsSection 106 planning obligations, plus the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) where the council charges it

Your questions answered for Finchley

What is a minimum price in a promotion agreement?

It is the lowest figure at which the landowner can be required to sell once planning is granted. It protects you from a sale in a weak market. Set it too high and the land may not sell; set it too low and it gives little protection. Some agreements allow review by an independent surveyor.

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.

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.

Do you work with landowners in Finchley?

We do. We work with landowners in Finchley and elsewhere in Greater London, including Surbiton, Stamford Hill and Camden Town. 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: How to sell land for development

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