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For landowners · Lancashire

Sell Land with Planning Permission in Colne

Can I sell land with planning permission in Colne?

Land with planning permission in Colne is a site where the council has already approved new homes, either in outline or in full. A buyer is paying for that consent as well as the ground, so the price depends on what the permission allows, the conditions attached and the planning obligations that come with it. Land to Homes reviews all three before making an offer.

Level greenfield development plot with a new timber fence, survey pegs and a new estate road kerbColne · BB8

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

Selling land around Colne

We cover Colne as part of Lancashire. It is about 23 miles east of Preston, around postcode district BB8. If your land sits between towns, Nelson, Burnley and Accrington are the closest neighbouring places on our list. Colne is in the North West region of England.

Around Colne we look at farmland next to the settlement boundary, infill gaps along existing streets and corner plots and side gardens. In England, where Colne 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 Colne and we will explain the routes open to you.

What we offer in Colne

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.

Buildability tested

As part of the S&K Group, a construction and property group, we test whether the approved homes can be built for a sensible cost, not just whether the drawings look right.

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.

Outline or full consent

Outline permission settles the principle, while reserved matters such as layout, scale and appearance still need approval. Full permission is further advanced. We explain how each stage affects what a buyer will pay.

Planning and land rules in Colne

In England, most planning applications for new homes in Colne 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, 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.

Key rules in Colne
Local planning documentLocal Plan
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.
Developer contributionsSection 106 planning obligations, plus the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) where the council charges it

Your questions answered for Colne

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.

What happens if my planning permission is about to expire?

If development has not lawfully begun by the deadline, the permission usually lapses and a new application is needed, which may be judged against newer policy. The usual choices are to sell to a buyer able to make a lawful start, to apply again, or to make a start yourself after discharging pre-commencement conditions. Take planning advice early.

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.

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.

Do you work with landowners in Colne?

We do. We work with landowners in Colne and elsewhere in Lancashire, including Lancaster, Ormskirk and Darwen. 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?

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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