Option agreement for land in Greater Manchester
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 Greater Manchester
Considering an option agreement for land in Greater Manchester? Here is how it works and where it fits. Greater Manchester is a dense conurbation centred on Manchester and Salford, ringed by towns such as Bolton, Wigan, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Stockport and Altrincham. Green Belt separates many of these towns and covers the moorland fringe, so most housing land is previously developed: former mills, industrial estates, yards and town-centre sites. Grey belt and small edge-of-settlement fields can also come forward on the urban fringe.
Most of the city-region is covered by a joint strategic plan, and Metrolink and rail corridors are a focus for higher-density homes. The eastern edge around Saddleworth includes part of the Peak District National Park, where landscape is a significant constraint on development.
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.
English councils keep brownfield land registers, and some previously developed sites can be granted permission in principle, a quicker way of establishing whether housing is acceptable before technical details are settled.
Parts of Greater Manchester 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 Greater Manchester 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 Greater Manchester that often suits an option agreement
WantedResidential development land
Sites on the edge of Manchester 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
Plenty of land around Manchester 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 Manchester 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
In parts of Manchester with long gardens or rear lanes, backland plots can work well if the access is wide enough and neighbours are treated fairly. Helpful where several gardens are being combined over time.
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WantedFarmland and paddocks
Around Manchester, 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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WantedStrategic land
Larger landholdings on the approaches to Manchester 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 Manchester 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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WantedAllocated and promoted land
Around Manchester, 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 Greater Manchester
- Manchester
- Oldham
- Wigan
- Bolton
- Stockport
- Salford
- Rochdale
- Sale
- Bury
- Altrincham
- Middleton
- Ashton-under-Lyne
- Leigh
- Stretford
- Urmston
- Chadderton
- Eccles
- Tyldesley
- Hyde
- Walkden
- Prestwich
- Radcliffe
- Cheadle Hulme
- Heywood
- Denton
- Stalybridge
- Ashton-in-Makerfield
- Westhoughton
- Farnworth
- Saddleworth
- Hindley
- Golborne
- Whitefield
- Swinton
- Royton
- Atherton
- Dukinfield
- Hazel Grove
- Irlam
- Horwich
- Bramhall
- Ramsbottom
- Bredbury
- Hale
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 Greater Manchester?
Yes. We use option agreements across Greater Manchester and the rest of England, where the structure suits the site and the owner.