Option agreement for land in Buckinghamshire
You grant us the right to buy within a set period, usually for an option premium, while we pursue planning.
An option agreement gives us the right, but not the obligation, to buy land within an agreed period, usually once planning is secured. The landowner is usually paid an option premium on signing and keeps the land meanwhile. On option agreements we pay the landowner's reasonable legal costs, with a cap agreed in the heads of terms.
Option agreement for land in Buckinghamshire
We use option agreements for suitable land across Buckinghamshire. Buckinghamshire runs from Milton Keynes in the north, through Aylesbury and the Vale, to High Wycombe, Amersham and the Chiltern towns in the south. The southern half is largely Metropolitan Green Belt and much of it lies in the Chilterns National Landscape, so sites there tend to be small, infill or previously developed. The north and the Aylesbury area see more edge-of-town greenfield land, farmland and strategic sites promoted through plan-making.
The planned East West Rail route and the existing lines into Marylebone and Euston shape where growth is directed in Buckinghamshire. Village infill plots, redundant farm buildings and garden land are frequent in the rural parishes, while Milton Keynes and Aylesbury attract larger edge-of-town and regeneration sites.
The August 2026 NPPF supports homes within reasonable walking distance (around 800 metres) of well-connected railway stations, with minimum densities of 35 homes per hectare, or 45 near higher-frequency stations.
The Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 introduced Environmental Delivery Plans and a Nature Restoration Levy in England, which over time may offer an alternative to site-by-site mitigation for some environmental issues.
Some land in Buckinghamshire is designated Green Belt. If your land is within it, it may still qualify as grey belt or previously developed land under national policy, subject to the Golden Rules.
Parts of Buckinghamshire fall within Chilterns National Landscape. Protected landscapes carry strong policy protection, so land in or next to them needs particularly careful assessment.
In short: you grant us the right to buy within a set period, usually for an option premium, while we pursue planning. It usually suits farmland and larger edge-of-settlement sites; strategic land needing local plan promotion; owners happy to wait for a better price. See how an option agreement works for the full process, pros and cons.
Land in Buckinghamshire that often suits an option agreement
WantedResidential development land
In and around Aylesbury we are interested in land that sits naturally alongside existing streets, where new homes would read as part of the place. Suits larger or longer-term land where planning may take several years.
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WantedLand without planning permission
For land on the edges of Aylesbury with no consent yet, the first questions are access, flood risk and how the council's current plan treats the area. Suits bigger sites or longer timescales; you are paid a premium and keep the land meanwhile.
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WantedBrownfield land
Brownfield land in Aylesbury tends to be well located for homes; the questions are usually about contamination, demolition and neighbours. Less common, but possible on larger regeneration land.
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WantedGarden and backland plots
Backland development in Aylesbury turns on access and privacy; we look at both before suggesting whether an application is worth making. Helpful where several gardens are being combined over time.
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WantedFarmland and paddocks
Around Aylesbury, paddocks and fields beside existing homes can have real potential, even where they have been grazed or farmed for generations. The usual route for larger farmland: you keep farming and we promote the land.
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WantedGreen Belt and grey belt land
Green Belt edges in Buckinghamshire vary a great deal, so we assess each parcel against the national tests before suggesting a deal. The common route: promoting Green Belt land can take time.
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WantedStrategic land
If you own a substantial holding near Aylesbury, the council's plan timetable will shape when and how it could be promoted. The standard route: we fund promotion and you are paid on sale.
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WantedAllocated and promoted land
Around Aylesbury, allocated sites and land put forward to the council are usually the furthest along, so they can often move faster than land at an earlier stage. Suits land at earlier plan stages.
Learn moreTowns we cover in Buckinghamshire
Option agreement: questions
How long do options last?
It varies with the site and the planning route, from a few years for smaller sites to longer for strategic land. Extension terms are often included.
Do you really pay my legal costs?
On option agreements we pay the landowner's reasonable legal costs, up to a cap that we agree in the heads of terms.
What if you never exercise the option?
At the end of the option period the land is released, you normally keep the premium, and we remove our notice from your title.
Do you use option agreements for land in Buckinghamshire?
Yes. We use option agreements across Buckinghamshire and the rest of England, where the structure suits the site and the owner.