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For landowners · Kent

Sell Land for Development in Canterbury

Can I sell land for development in Canterbury?

If you own land in Canterbury that could take new homes, you can sell it to Land to Homes as it stands or let us take it through planning first. Selling now gives you certainty. Going through planning first usually raises what the land is worth. On promotion agreements we fund the planning work, and on option and promotion agreements we pay your reasonable legal fees.

Landowner and surveyor at a wooden field gate looking over a paddock behind town gardensCanterbury · CT1

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

Our coverage in Canterbury

About 24 miles east of Maidstone, Canterbury is part of our Kent coverage, centred on postcode district CT1. Whitstable is the closest neighbouring place we cover, at about 6 miles, followed by Herne Bay and Faversham. Canterbury is part of England’s South East region.

Around Canterbury we look at infill gaps along existing streets, small holdings and pony paddocks and brownfield land in and around Canterbury. Planning in Canterbury follows England’s rules: the National Planning Policy Framework sets national policy and the council’s Local Plan sets local policy.

Tell us where your land is around Canterbury and we will explain the routes open to you.

How we work in Canterbury

Your legal fees covered

On option and promotion agreements we pay your reasonable legal fees. The figure is agreed up front in the heads of terms, so there are no surprises later.

Nothing to pay upfront

Where we promote land through planning, we fund the planning work. They are only recovered from the sale proceeds if the land sells with permission.

Straight answers on value

We explain how development land is valued, including the costs a buyer has to allow for, so you understand an offer rather than just receiving one.

We build what we buy

Land to Homes is part of the S&K Group, a construction and property group, so we plan sites around homes we can actually build and deliver.

Rules that apply in Canterbury

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 Canterbury 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, planning decisions follow the National Planning Policy Framework and the council's Local Plan. Where a council cannot show enough land for housing, sites on the edge of settlements can come forward sooner, which affects whether we buy now or promote.

Key rules in Canterbury
Local planning documentLocal Plan
Who decides applicationsThe local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority)
In-principle consentOutline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later
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.

Questions about Sell Land for Development in Canterbury

What size of land do you buy?

From single infill plots that could take one or two homes up to fields large enough for a full development. If a site is too small or too constrained for us, we will tell you quickly rather than leave you waiting.

Can I sell land for development without planning permission?

Yes. Many sites change hands without planning. A buyer will either pay a price that reflects the planning risk, or agree a deal where the final price is set once permission is granted. We can do either, and we will explain which gives you the better outcome for your land.

Will I have to pay tax when I sell land?

Selling land can create a Capital Gains Tax or Income Tax liability depending on your circumstances. We are not tax advisers, so we always recommend speaking to an accountant before you agree terms. GOV.UK has a guide to tax when you sell land and property.

How much is my land worth for development?

It depends on how many homes the site could take, what those homes would sell for locally, and the costs of building them, including roads, drainage, affordable housing and planning obligations. Agricultural or paddock land without planning prospects is worth far less than land with permission. Our free appraisal explains the factors for your site.

Do you work with landowners in Canterbury?

We do. We work with landowners in Canterbury and elsewhere in Kent, including Strood, Gillingham and Margate. Send us a postcode and we will start with a free, no-obligation appraisal of what the land could take.

Read more: Sell Land for Development · Guide: Overage and clawback: how they work when you sell land

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.

CallFree appraisal