Option agreement for land in Worcestershire
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 Worcestershire
We use option agreements for suitable land across Worcestershire. Worcestershire includes Worcester, Redditch, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove, Droitwich, Evesham, Great Malvern and Stourport-on-Severn and many villages. Green Belt covers the north of the county next to the West Midlands conurbation, and the Malvern Hills and Cotswolds National Landscapes cover parts of the west and south. Typical sites include edge-of-town fields, farm buildings, orchards and paddocks, village infill and former industrial land in the towns.
Flood risk from the Severn, Teme and Avon is a major consideration around Worcester, Upton-upon-Severn and Evesham. The M5 and M42 corridors and the rail lines through Worcester, Bromsgrove and Droitwich attract interest, and grey belt is now relevant on parts of the northern Green Belt.
Where an English council cannot show a five-year supply of housing land, or its Housing Delivery Test result falls below 75%, the August 2026 NPPF can give policy support to suitable housing outside settlement boundaries.
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 Worcestershire 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 Worcestershire fall within Malvern Hills National Landscape and Cotswolds 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 Worcestershire that often suits an option agreement
WantedResidential development land
In and around Worcester 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 Worcester 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 Worcester 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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WantedFarmland and paddocks
Around Worcester, 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 Worcestershire 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
Larger landholdings on the approaches to Worcester 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
Older business land around Worcester, 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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WantedAllocated and promoted land
Around Worcester, 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 Worcestershire
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 Worcestershire?
Yes. We use option agreements across Worcestershire and the rest of England, where the structure suits the site and the owner.