Option agreement for land in East Sussex
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 East Sussex
We use option agreements for suitable land across East Sussex. East Sussex runs from Brighton and Hove along the coast to Eastbourne, Bexhill and Hastings, with inland towns such as Lewes, Uckfield, Hailsham and Crowborough. There is no Green Belt, but the South Downs National Park and the High Weald National Landscape cover a large share of the county, squeezing development between protected countryside and the sea. Typical sites are small edge-of-town fields, infill plots, garden land and urban brownfield sites.
Brighton and Hove has very limited land between the Downs and the sea, so redevelopment of commercial buildings, garages and yards is common there. Inland, the A22 and A26 towns and High Weald villages see smaller schemes, where ancient woodland and the historic field pattern are frequent considerations.
National policy in England now recognises "medium development" of 10 to 49 homes on sites up to 2.5 hectares, and asks councils to allocate at least 10% of their housing on sites of one hectare or less and a further 10% on sites of one to 2.5 hectares.
In England, a planning permission normally has to be implemented within three years unless the council sets a different period, and councils aim to decide minor applications within eight weeks and major ones within thirteen.
East Sussex has no designated Green Belt, so the main policy questions near Lewes are usually the settlement boundary, landscape and access.
Parts of East Sussex fall within South Downs National Park and High Weald 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 East Sussex that often suits an option agreement
WantedResidential development land
Sites on the edge of Lewes or the villages nearby can be worth a conversation, especially where they are well connected by road and bus or rail. Suits larger or longer-term land where planning may take several years.
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WantedLand without planning permission
Near Lewes, land without planning is worth discussing where it adjoins existing homes or has been put forward to the council's plan. Suits bigger sites or longer timescales; you are paid a premium and keep the land meanwhile.
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WantedBrownfield land
Former works, depots and yards in and around Lewes can make good housing sites once the ground and neighbouring uses are understood. Less common, but possible on larger regeneration land.
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WantedFarmland and paddocks
We are looking for farmland near Lewes 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
Larger landholdings on the approaches to Lewes are where strategic land usually comes from, particularly near transport links. The standard route: we fund promotion and you are paid on sale.
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WantedCommercial and industrial sites
We look at yards and units across Lewes where the business use has run its course or the site sits awkwardly among houses. Possible for larger estates being phased out.
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WantedSites with lapsed or refused planning
Sites around Lewes with an old refusal can be worth a second look, especially where local or national policy has since changed. Suits larger sites needing a longer route.
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WantedAllocated and promoted land
If your land near Lewes 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 East Sussex
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.
How is the price worked out?
Commonly as market value with planning, less an agreed discount and allowable costs, often with a minimum price. Take independent advice on the mechanism.
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.
Do you use option agreements for land in East Sussex?
Yes. We use option agreements across East Sussex and the rest of England, where the structure suits the site and the owner.