Strategic land wanted in Ashton-in-Makerfield
Development Land Wanted buys strategic land in Ashton-in-Makerfield and right across England and Wales. Owners and agents are both welcome.
Strategic land is a larger site, usually for 50 or more homes, that is brought forward over several years through the local plan or a major application. We look at strategic land across England and Wales, usually under an option agreement or joint venture.
- Size
- 50+ homes
- Planning
- Usually without
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Option or JV
Is your land in Ashton-in-Makerfield the kind we want?
If you own a substantial holding near Ashton-in-Makerfield, the council's plan timetable will shape when and how it could be promoted. Sitting about 17 miles west of Manchester, Ashton-in-Makerfield is within Greater Manchester, with Haydock and Golborne close by.
- Land for 50 or more homes next to a town or larger village
- Land near railway stations or good bus routes
- Land with more than one possible access point
- Sites already being considered by the council
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.
Checks we make on strategic land in Ashton-in-Makerfield
Local plan timing
Strategic sites usually move with the plan cycle, so we look at where the council is in its review.
Land assembly
Larger schemes often need several owners to agree a fair way to share value.
Promotion costs
Technical studies and plan representations cost money; under an option we pay them up front, and any recovery from the price is capped in the heads of terms.
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.
Some land in Greater Manchester 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.
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 Ashton-in-Makerfield
Outright purchase
Rare before planning; more usual once an allocation or outline consent exists.
Outright purchaseSubject-to-planning contract
Possible for the first phase of a larger holding.
Subject-to-planning contractJoint venture
You contribute the land, we fund and manage planning and delivery, and the proceeds are shared as agreed.
Joint ventureThe next steps
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.
Questions owners in Ashton-in-Makerfield ask
What if my neighbours own part of the best site?
We can help bring owners together under an equalisation arrangement so value is shared fairly, whoever ends up with the roads or open space.
Will I be paid anything before planning?
Under an option, owners are usually paid a premium on signing, with the main payment when the land is sold after planning.
Do you buy strategic land in Ashton-in-Makerfield?
Yes. We buy strategic land in Ashton-in-Makerfield and throughout Greater Manchester, as well as elsewhere in England and Wales. Tell us where the land is and we will give you a free appraisal.
Do I need to pay anything to have land in Ashton-in-Makerfield assessed?
No. Our appraisal is free and there is no obligation to sell to us.