Sell Land Without Planning in Salford
Most development land in Salford starts life with no planning at all. If your field, yard or paddock sits close to existing homes, you have a choice: take a lower price now and pass the risk to a buyer, or wait for planning and share in the higher value. We set out both sides in writing after a free appraisal.
Salford · M6Free 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 Salford
We cover Salford as part of Greater Manchester. It is about 2 miles west of Manchester, around postcode district M6. The nearest other places we cover are Eccles (2 miles), Old Trafford (2 miles) and Manchester (2 miles). Within England, Salford falls in the North West region.
In and around Salford, the land we appraise ranges from corner plots and side gardens to land that already has planning permission, including small holdings and pony paddocks. In England, where Salford sits, planning decisions are made by the local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority).
If you own land near Salford, the first step is a free, no-obligation appraisal.
Our approach in Salford
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.
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.
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 funded on promotion
Nothing to pay upfront: on a promotion agreement we fund the planning work, and those costs are recovered from the sale proceeds only if the land sells with planning. The detail is set out in the heads of terms.
Planning in Salford: the English rules
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 Salford 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.
| Local planning document | Local Plan |
|---|---|
| In-principle consent | Outline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later |
| Land registration | HM Land Registry |
| Developer contributions | Section 106 planning obligations, plus the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) where the council charges it |
Your questions answered for Salford
What is a subject to planning contract?
It is a contract where both sides commit now, but the sale only completes if a satisfactory planning permission is granted. It sets a longstop date, defines what counts as satisfactory and usually says who controls the application. If permission is not granted by the longstop date, either side can normally withdraw without penalty.
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.
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.
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.
Do you work with landowners in Salford?
We do. We work with landowners in Salford and elsewhere in Greater Manchester, including Whitefield, Hyde and Atherton. Send us a postcode and we will start with a free, no-obligation appraisal of what the land could take.
Read more: Sell Land Without Planning · Guide: Green Belt and grey belt land explained