Option agreement for land in Northumberland
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 Northumberland
Option agreement is one of four ways we buy land in Northumberland. Northumberland's population is concentrated in the south-east, around Blyth, Cramlington, Ashington, Bedlington and Morpeth, with market towns such as Hexham and Berwick-upon-Tweed and many remote villages. Green Belt extends from the Tyne and Wear edge across the south-east, and Northumberland National Park and the Northumberland Coast and North Pennines National Landscapes cover much of the rest. Former colliery land, edge-of-town fields and farm buildings are common sources of housing land.
The reopened Northumberland Line rail service between Ashington, Bedlington, Blyth and Newcastle has made south-east Northumberland a focus for new homes. The coast has internationally protected bird and dune habitats, so coastal schemes often contribute to recreation mitigation, and coal mining legacy checks are common inland.
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.
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.
Some land in Northumberland 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 Northumberland fall within Northumberland National Park, Northumberland Coast National Landscape and North Pennines 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 Northumberland that often suits an option agreement
WantedResidential development land
Around Morpeth, the residential land that tends to work is close to existing homes, shops and transport rather than out on its own. Suits larger or longer-term land where planning may take several years.
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WantedLand without planning permission
Near Morpeth, 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
In Morpeth, the brownfield sites we look at are often tucked behind main roads or alongside older housing, close to services. Less common, but possible on larger regeneration land.
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WantedGarden and backland plots
In parts of Morpeth 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
Fields that wrap around the edges of Morpeth and its neighbouring villages are the farmland we most want to talk about. The usual route for larger farmland: you keep farming and we promote the land.
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WantedStrategic land
If you own a substantial holding near Morpeth, 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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WantedSites with lapsed or refused planning
Sites around Morpeth 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 Morpeth 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 Northumberland
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.
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 Northumberland?
Yes. We use option agreements across Northumberland and the rest of England, where the structure suits the site and the owner.