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For landowners · Kent

Land Promotion Agreements in Dartford

How does land promotion work in Dartford?

With promotion, you keep your land in Dartford while Land to Homes pays for the surveys, design and planning application. There is nothing to pay upfront: costs are recovered from the sale proceeds only if the land sells with planning. A minimum price agreed at the start means you are not obliged to sell below that figure.

Aerial view of open farmland with hedgerows on the edge of a townDartford · DA1

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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

Our coverage in Dartford

In Kent, Dartford lies about 18 miles north-west of Maidstone; its central postcode district is DA1. If your land sits between towns, Bexley, Swanley and Welling are the closest neighbouring places on our list. Dartford is part of England’s South East region.

Typical sites we review near Dartford include fields put forward or allocated in the local plan, redundant agricultural buildings and paddocks on the edge of Dartford. In England, where Dartford sits, planning decisions are made by the local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority).

Tell us where your land is around Dartford and we will explain the routes open to you.

What you get in Dartford

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.

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.

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 and land rules in Dartford

If your land near Dartford lies in the Green Belt, national policy still protects it, but England's planning framework now recognises grey belt: Green Belt land that is previously developed or does not strongly contribute to certain Green Belt purposes. Where there is evidenced unmet need and the location is sustainable, grey belt housing can be acceptable, with major schemes meeting the Golden Rules on affordable housing, infrastructure and green space. Planning is never guaranteed, so we check policy, access and constraints first.

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 Dartford
Local planning documentLocal Plan
Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer)Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT)
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.

Questions about Land Promotion Agreements in Dartford

Can I end a promotion agreement early?

Usually only in limited circumstances set out in the agreement, such as the promoter failing to meet its obligations or the term expiring. Because the promoter is investing in planning, early termination by the landowner is normally restricted. Check the termination clauses with your solicitor before you sign.

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.

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 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.

Do you work with landowners in Dartford?

We do. We work with landowners in Dartford and elsewhere in Kent, including Swanley, Strood and Deal. 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: Green Belt and grey belt land explained

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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