Option agreement for land in Derbyshire
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 Derbyshire
We use option agreements for suitable land across Derbyshire. Derbyshire stretches from the city of Derby and towns such as Ilkeston, Long Eaton, Belper and Ripley in the south and east to the Peak District uplands in the north-west. Green Belt covers land between Derby and Nottingham, near Swadlincote and on the edges of Sheffield and Greater Manchester, while the Peak District National Park covers much of the north. Former colliery and industrial land, edge-of-town fields and village infill are the usual sources of housing sites.
Much of eastern Derbyshire lies on the former coalfield, where a coal mining risk assessment is often needed before building. The M1 corridor towns such as Chesterfield, Alfreton and Ilkeston, and the Swadlincote area near Burton upon Trent, see steady demand for small and medium housing sites.
In England, the revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August 2026 replaced the old "tilted balance" with new settlement policies: development within a settlement should normally be approved unless the harm substantially outweighs the benefits, while land outside a settlement can gain support in defined circumstances.
Since 6 August 2026, non-major development on sites of 0.2 hectares or less in England has generally been exempt from mandatory biodiversity net gain, unless priority habitat is affected. That makes many small sites simpler to bring forward.
Parts of Derbyshire are Green Belt, though not every town has any nearby. We check early whether a site is inside it and, if so, whether a grey belt or previously developed land case could apply.
Parts of Derbyshire fall within Peak District National Park. 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 Derbyshire that often suits an option agreement
WantedLand without planning permission
Plenty of land around Derby has never had permission. What we look for first is whether new homes would fit with the existing pattern of the place. 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 Derby 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
Around Derby, garden land is most promising where a lane already runs behind the houses or two or three neighbours can sell together. Helpful where several gardens are being combined over time.
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WantedFarmland and paddocks
We are looking for farmland near Derby with a realistic access, ideally land the owner has already put forward to the local plan. The usual route for larger farmland: you keep farming and we promote the land.
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WantedStrategic land
Around Derby, strategic sites tend to be the big fields between the built edge and the main roads, where a whole new neighbourhood could be planned. The standard route: we fund promotion and you are paid on sale.
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WantedCommercial and industrial sites
Older business land around Derby, especially units now surrounded by housing, is the kind of commercial site we would like to discuss. Possible for larger estates being phased out.
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WantedSites with lapsed or refused planning
We read the planning history of sites across Derby closely; a past refusal often points straight to the fix. Suits larger sites needing a longer route.
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WantedAllocated and promoted land
If your land near Derby appears in the council's plan or its site assessments, send us the reference; it changes the conversation. Suits land at earlier plan stages.
Learn moreTowns we cover in Derbyshire
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 Derbyshire?
Yes. We use option agreements across Derbyshire and the rest of England, where the structure suits the site and the owner.