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 · Scottish Borders

Land Promotion Agreements in Kelso

How does land promotion work in Kelso?

With promotion, you keep your land in Kelso 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 townKelso · TD5

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

Land we look at around Kelso

In Scottish Borders, Kelso lies about 15 miles east of Galashiels; its central postcode district is TD5. Galashiels is the closest neighbouring place we cover, at about 15 miles, followed by Hawick and Peebles.

In and around Kelso, the land we appraise ranges from farmland next to the settlement boundary to small holdings and pony paddocks, including backland plots with a workable access. Because Kelso 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 Kelso and we will explain the routes open to you.

How we work in Kelso

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.

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.

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.

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.

Planning in Kelso: the Scottish rules

If you own land on the edge of Kelso, its prospects in Scotland depend largely on the Local Development Plan, which allocates sites for housing, and on NPF4 policies such as those on local living, infrastructure and quality homes. An option or promotion agreement lets a partner fund the planning case while you keep ownership until a sale. With Land to Homes, your reasonable legal fees on these agreements are covered, with the amount agreed in the heads of terms.

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.

Key rules in Kelso
National planning policyNational Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), which forms part of the statutory development plan
Local planning documentLocal Development Plan (LDP)
Who decides applicationsThe council as planning authority (or a national park authority in its area)
Developer contributionsSection 75 planning obligations, with Section 69 agreements sometimes used for simple one-off payments

Land Promotion Agreements in Kelso: questions

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.

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.

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 Kelso an area you cover for land?

Yes, we cover land in Kelso and elsewhere in Scottish Borders, including Galashiels, Hawick and Peebles. 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: Section 106 and affordable housing: what landowners should know

Land Promotion Agreements elsewhere in Scottish Borders

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