Allocated and promoted land wanted in Atherton
We want to hear from owners of allocated and promoted land in Atherton. There is nothing to pay us, and you are under no obligation.
If your land is allocated in a plan, or you have submitted it to a call for sites, the council has already started considering it for development. We can buy allocated land or take it forward through promotion and an application.
- Size
- Any
- Planning
- Allocated or submitted
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Option, conditional or outright
Allocated and promoted land we are looking for in Atherton
We are interested in land around Atherton at any plan stage, from a first submission to an adopted allocation. Atherton lies about 11 miles west of Manchester in Greater Manchester. We also cover Tyldesley, Westhoughton, Leigh and the villages between them.
- Land allocated for housing in an adopted plan
- Sites submitted to a call for sites (England) or candidate site register (Wales)
- Parts of larger allocations owned separately
- Land in a neighbourhood plan allocation
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.
Before we make an offer in Atherton
Plan stage
An adopted allocation carries more weight than a draft one or a call-for-sites submission.
Allocation requirements
Allocation policies often set numbers, access, infrastructure and design expectations.
Shared allocations
Where several owners hold one allocation, collaboration and equalisation matter.
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.
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.
Though we are based in Birmingham (roughly 72 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.
How we could buy your land in Atherton
Subject-to-planning contract
Used where an application is the next step.
Subject-to-planning contractWhat happens after you get in touch
Tell us about the land
Use the form or call us with the location and a rough outline of the site.
Free appraisal
We review title, planning and constraints and tell you honestly what we think.
Written offer
If the site suits us, we set out an offer and the way we propose to buy.
Solicitors take over
Your solicitor and ours agree the contract; we keep you informed throughout.
Frequently asked in Greater Manchester
Is there an equivalent of a call for sites in Wales?
Yes. Welsh councils run candidate site stages when preparing or reviewing their Local Development Plans.
My land was under an option that expired. Can you take over?
Yes, if the earlier agreement has properly ended. We will want to see it to confirm there is no continuing exclusivity.
How quickly can you look at a site in Atherton?
For most sites we can give an initial view once we have the location and a plan. Detailed checks follow if the land looks suitable.
Do I need to pay anything to have land in Atherton assessed?
No. Our appraisal is free and there is no obligation to sell to us.