Sell Land Without Planning in Hawick
Land without planning permission in Hawick can still be sold for development. Its value rests on hope, meaning how likely it is that new homes will be allowed. Land to Homes can buy suitable sites as they stand, agree a contract that completes only if planning is granted, or partner with you through an option or promotion agreement.
Hawick · TD9Free 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
Land and sites near Hawick
Hawick (TD9) is one of the Scottish Borders towns we cover, about 13 miles south of Galashiels. The nearest other places we cover are Galashiels (13 miles), Kelso (18 miles) and Peebles (22 miles).
Typical sites we review near Hawick include redundant agricultural buildings, redundant commercial buildings and fields put forward or allocated in the local plan. As Hawick is in Scotland, applications are judged against National Planning Framework 4, and the buyer of land pays Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT).
Tell us where your land is around Hawick and we will explain the routes open to you.
What you get in Hawick
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.
Option or promotion routes
Where planning will take longer, an option or promotion agreement lets us fund the application while you keep ownership. We explain the difference, including who benefits from a higher or lower sale price.
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.
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.
Planning and land rules in Hawick
If you own land on the edge of Hawick, its prospects in Scotland depend largely on the Local Development Plan, which allocates sites for housing, and on NPF4 policies such as those on local living, infrastructure and quality homes. An option or promotion agreement lets a partner fund the planning case while you keep ownership until a sale. With Land to Homes, your reasonable legal fees on these agreements are covered, with the amount agreed in the heads of terms.
In Scotland, the Local Development Plan and National Planning Framework 4 decide where housing goes. Land is often sold on missives with a suspensive condition that planning permission in principle is granted. Under the newer plan system councils prepare an evidence report before the proposed plan, so landowners benefit from engaging early.
| Who decides applications | The council as planning authority (or a national park authority in its area) |
|---|---|
| Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer) | Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) |
| How a sale becomes binding | Land sales are concluded through missives, formal letters exchanged between solicitors that become a binding contract once concluded, followed by settlement on the date of entry and registration in the Land Register of Scotland. |
| Developer contributions | Section 75 planning obligations, with Section 69 agreements sometimes used for simple one-off payments |
Sell Land Without Planning in Hawick: questions
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.
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.
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.
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.
Do you buy land in Hawick?
Yes. Land to Homes looks at land in Hawick and elsewhere in Scottish Borders, including Galashiels, Kelso and Peebles. Every enquiry starts with a free site appraisal, and on option and promotion agreements we pay your reasonable legal fees.
Read more: Sell Land Without Planning · Guide: Overage and clawback: how they work when you sell land