Sell Land Without Planning in Barnet

Our coverage in Barnet

We cover Barnet as part of Greater London. It is about 10 miles north of London, around postcode district EN5. Nearby, we also cover Hadley Wood, Potters Bar and Borehamwood, all within 3 miles. Barnet is part of England’s London region.

Sites worth a conversation around Barnet: small holdings and pony paddocks, land that already has planning permission and farmland next to the settlement boundary. In England, where Barnet sits, planning decisions are made by the local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority).

Send us a postcode in or near EN5 and we will start with a free desktop appraisal.

How we work in Barnet

Overage protects the upside

If you sell now, an overage clause can entitle you to a further payment if a more valuable permission is granted later. We explain how triggers, duration and security are usually set out.

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.

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.

Buying land as it stands

Where we can see a planning route we are prepared to back, we can buy your land as it stands, with no onward chain, subject to survey, title and contract.

The English system, as it applies in Barnet

Whether a field or large garden could take homes depends mostly on the council's Local Plan and national policy. Under the National Planning Policy Framework, plans define settlement boundaries, and land just outside Barnet may still come forward if it is allocated, previously developed or meets evidenced unmet housing need. Smaller housing schemes can also use Permission in Principle, an England-only route that settles location, use and amount first. Our free appraisal explains which route suits your land.

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.

Key rules in Barnet
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.

Questions about Sell Land Without Planning in Barnet

Is a field with no road frontage worth selling for development?

It can be, but access is the first question any buyer asks. If the only route in crosses land owned by someone else, rights need to be agreed or a strip bought. We check title plans and highway records before suggesting any deal, so you know whether access is a hurdle or a dead end.

What if my land has been refused planning before?

A previous refusal is useful evidence, not necessarily the end of the story. Policy changes, new local plans and a different scheme can lead to a different outcome. We read the refusal reasons and any appeal decision before giving a view on whether a fresh approach is realistic and worth the cost.

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.

What is a call for sites?

When a council prepares or reviews its development plan, it usually invites landowners and developers to put land forward for consideration. Submitting your site does not mean it will be allocated, but it puts the land in front of the council's planning team. In Wales this is usually called the candidate site process.

Do you buy land in Barnet?

Yes. Land to Homes looks at land in Barnet and elsewhere in Greater London, including South Croydon, Hounslow and Barnes. Every enquiry starts with a free site appraisal, and on option and promotion agreements we pay your reasonable legal fees.