Land Promotion Agreements in Lancashire
Promotion agreements are often used for larger sites in Lancashire 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
Our coverage in Lancashire
Our Lancashire coverage takes in 18 towns and cities, centred on Preston and including Leyland, Nelson and Skelmersdale. Neighbouring areas we also cover include Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire.
Typical sites we review near Lancashire include paddocks on the edge of Preston, backland plots with a workable access and farmland next to the settlement boundary. In England, where Lancashire sits, planning decisions are made by the local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority).
A postcode and a rough boundary are enough for us to start a free appraisal of land near Lancashire.
How we work in Lancashire
Retained land protected
If you keep neighbouring land, the agreement can secure access and services to it, so the new scheme does not cut off the rest of your holding or limit its future use.
Open-market sale
Once planning is secured, the land is marketed to housebuilders and other buyers, usually through an agent. The aim is genuine competition between bidders, rather than reliance on a single valuation figure.
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.
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.
How the rules work in Lancashire
In England, most planning applications for new homes in Lancashire 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.
| National planning policy | National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), revised August 2026, with national planning practice guidance |
|---|---|
| Local planning document | Local Plan |
| Who decides applications | The local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority) |
| In-principle consent | Outline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later |
| Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer) | Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) |
| Land registration | HM Land Registry |
| How a sale becomes binding | A 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 contributions | Section 106 planning obligations, plus the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) where the council charges it |
Common questions in Lancashire
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.
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.
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.
Do you work with landowners in Lancashire?
We do. We work with landowners across Lancashire, including Thornton-Cleveleys, Lytham St Annes and Accrington. 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: Planning permission explained for landowners