Sell Land Without Planning in Barnes
Selling a site in Barnes before planning comes down to who carries the risk and the cost of the application. Land to Homes looks at local planning policy, access and constraints, then sets out which deal fits: a direct purchase, subject to survey, title and contract, a conditional contract, or a longer-term option or promotion.
Barnes · SW13Free 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 Barnes
We cover Barnes as part of Greater London. It is about 6 miles south-west of London, around postcode district SW13. Nearby, we also cover Chiswick, Putney and Fulham, all within 2 miles. Barnes is in the London region of England.
Sites worth a conversation around Barnes: redundant agricultural buildings, large and long rear gardens and small holdings and pony paddocks. Because Barnes is in England, land titles are registered with HM Land Registry and transfers attract Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).
If you own land near Barnes, the first step is a free, no-obligation appraisal.
How we work in Barnes
Constraints checked first
Flood risk, access, heritage, ecology, protected trees and landscape designations can each decide whether planning is realistic. We look at all of these before discussing any deal or price mechanism with you.
Hope value explained
Land with no permission but a realistic chance of one is worth more than its current use value, but less than consented land. We explain where your site sits on that scale and why.
Local plan timing
Councils review their development plans periodically and invite landowners to put sites forward. We check where your council is in that cycle, because it can matter more than any single application.
Conditional contracts
Contracts are signed now, but the sale only completes if a satisfactory planning permission is granted by a longstop date. The price is usually fixed, or set by an agreed formula, when the contract is signed.
Planning and land rules in Barnes
In England, most planning applications for new homes in Barnes 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, the starting point is the Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework. Councils assess land put forward in a housing and economic land availability assessment. Smaller housing-led sites can apply for Permission in Principle to test whether the location is acceptable, and some Green Belt land may now be assessed as grey belt.
| National planning policy | National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), revised August 2026, with national planning practice guidance |
|---|---|
| Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer) | Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) |
| Land registration | HM Land Registry |
| Developer contributions | Section 106 planning obligations, plus the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) where the council charges it |
Sell Land Without Planning in Barnes: questions
What is hope value?
Hope value is the extra amount a buyer will pay above a site's existing use value because there is a realistic prospect of planning permission. The stronger the prospect, and the sooner permission could realistically come, the higher the hope value tends to be. It is lower than the value with permission, because the buyer carries the planning risk.
Can I keep using the land while planning is pursued?
Usually, yes. Under options and promotion agreements you normally keep ownership and can carry on using the land, for example for grazing or farming, until it is sold. The agreement sets out access for surveys and any restrictions, such as on granting new long-term tenancies.
Should I apply for planning permission myself before selling?
You can, but an application costs money in surveys, reports and fees, and a refusal can make the land harder to sell. A scheme designed by someone who does not intend to build may also not suit housebuilders. Many landowners prefer a partner who carries the cost and risk of planning instead.
Can I get planning on land outside the settlement boundary?
Sometimes. Land just outside a boundary is usually treated as countryside, where new housing is restricted. Prospects improve if the council allocates the land in a new plan, or where national policy gives weight to unmet housing need. Each nation handles this differently, so we explain the position for your council area.
Is Barnes an area you cover for land?
Yes, we cover land in Barnes and elsewhere in Greater London, including Canary Wharf, Highbury and Hadley Wood. 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: Sell Land Without Planning · Guide: Green Belt and grey belt land explained