Sell Land with Planning Permission in Maidstone
Got planning permission on land in Maidstone but no wish to build? You can sell the site with the consent attached. Land to Homes reads the decision notice, the approved drawings, the conditions and any planning agreement, then tells you whether we would buy it directly, subject to survey, title and contract, and what would affect the figure.
Maidstone · ME14Free 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 Maidstone
Our Kent coverage is centred on Maidstone, postcode district ME14, and reaches 21 other places. Chatham is the closest neighbouring place we cover, at about 8 miles, followed by Rochester and Gillingham. Maidstone is part of England’s South East region.
Sites worth a conversation around Maidstone: fields put forward or allocated in the local plan, redundant commercial buildings and redundant agricultural buildings. Because Maidstone is in England, land titles are registered with HM Land Registry and transfers attract Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).
Send us a postcode in or near ME14 and we will start with a free desktop appraisal.
What we offer in Maidstone
Conditions priced in
Pre-commencement conditions, such as drainage, materials or ecology details, must be discharged before work starts. We identify which are outstanding, what they are likely to cost and who would deal with them.
Direct purchase of consented sites
Where a consented site suits us, we can buy it ourselves with no onward chain, subject to survey, title and contract. Any planning agreement passes to us with the land.
Expiry dates checked
Most permissions lapse if development does not lawfully begin within the period set in the decision. We check the deadline, and whether a lawful start has already been made, before discussing any deal.
Honest view on redesign
If a revised scheme could make the site work better, we explain that openly, including the planning risk a fresh application would carry, so you can judge any offer that depends on it.
How the rules work in Maidstone
If your land near Maidstone 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, buyers check Section 106 obligations, any Community Infrastructure Levy liability and, for many newer permissions, the biodiversity gain condition, which usually requires a biodiversity gain plan to be approved before work starts. We also confirm whether the consent came from a full application, an outline approval, or Permission in Principle followed by technical details consent.
| Who decides applications | The local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority) |
|---|---|
| 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. |
Common questions in Maidstone
Who pays the Community Infrastructure Levy when I sell land with planning?
CIL is only charged where the council has adopted it, which is possible in England and Wales but not in Scotland or Northern Ireland. It is normally payable when development starts, by whoever has assumed liability. If you sell before work begins, the buyer usually takes on that liability. Reliefs and exemptions generally have to be claimed before commencement, so check the council's charging schedule.
Is outline planning permission worth less than full permission?
Usually, because more approvals are still needed. Outline permission sets the principle and sometimes the access, while reserved matters such as layout, scale, appearance and landscaping come later. A buyer allows for the cost and risk of that remaining work. In Scotland the closest equivalent is planning permission in principle.
Can a buyer change the approved scheme?
Yes, through a minor amendment, a variation of conditions or a fresh application, depending on the size of the change. Each route carries its own planning risk and cost. If a buyer's offer depends on a different scheme being approved, the deal is usually conditional on that new permission rather than a straight purchase.
What is a pre-commencement condition?
It is a condition that must be discharged before any development starts, such as approval of drainage, materials, a construction management plan or ecology measures. Starting work before discharging one can mean the permission has not been lawfully implemented. Buyers check these carefully because they affect both cost and when building can begin.
Do you work with landowners in Maidstone?
We do. We work with landowners in Maidstone and elsewhere in Kent, including Tonbridge, Margate and Ashford (Kent). Send us a postcode and we will start with a free, no-obligation appraisal of what the land could take.
Read more: Sell Land with Planning Permission · Guide: How is development land valued?