Surrey council area
Selling Land in Surrey Heath
Checked on
Surrey Heath delivered 98% of the homes it needed, is waiting on the inspector's report for a Local Plan to 2038, and has already started the plan that will follow it. Its supply of housing land is 7.17 years or 3.12 years depending on the yardstick, and the Thames Basin Heaths shape almost every site.
- We pay for the planning, at our own cost and risk
- Your price is agreed up front, in writing
- If planning is refused, you keep your land and owe nothing
In short
We buy land with development potential in Surrey Heath and welcome land of every kind there: fields and paddocks, inherited land, old yards and larger holdings.
Surrey Heath can show 7.17 years of housing land, more than the five years national policy expects, and built 98% of the homes it needed in the government's latest count. So the surest routes here are the local plan, for land on the edge of towns and villages, and sites within them, where national policy generally supports new homes. Its local plan dates from February 2012, and a new one was submitted for examination in December 2024.
We look for 2 acres or more next to, or well related to, a town or village, with a road frontage or a way to get one.
The next step is a free, confidential desktop review. We tell you which route, if any, suits your land, with no obligation.
The Land We Buy in Surrey Heath
- Plots, yards and large gardens inside Camberley, Frimley, Bagshot, Lightwater and the other built-up areas, where policy S4 favours approval.
- Previously developed land, including in the Green Belt, with lawful buildings or hardstanding.
- Land more than 400 metres from the protected heaths, with a realistic SANG solution.
- Holdings large enough to provide their own SANG alongside new homes.
- Enclosed Green Belt land on village edges that may count as grey belt once need is evidenced.
- Sites to put into the call for sites for the plan review, from five homes upwards.
We pay for the survey and evidence work, including the heathland and SANG assessments. The option we sign with you fixes the price from the outset, pitched above what the land is worth now. You keep farming or using it throughout, and if no permission is granted, the land stays yours and you owe us nothing. The how it works page walks through each stage.
Is Your Land in Surrey Heath a Good Fit?
You do not need to know the planning rules to sell land for development in Surrey Heath. These are the things that make a site a strong candidate:
- It sits next to, or is well related to, an existing town or village.
- A safe access onto a public road is possible, even if it needs work.
- Most of the land is outside the highest flood risk zone.
- It is not covered by a strong designation such as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- It is about 2 acres or more, or part of a larger holding.
- Everyone who owns it is willing to consider one clear, agreed price.
If your land does not tick every box, ask anyway. Many of the sites we take on have a problem to solve, whether that is access, drainage, a tenancy or an awkward boundary, and solving those problems is our job.
Ways to Sell Your Land in Surrey Heath
There are three common ways to sell land with development potential in Surrey Heath. They suit different owners, and the right one depends on whether your land needs planning permission before it is worth more.
- An outright sale. You sell the land as it stands today, privately or at auction. The price is what a buyer will pay for it without planning permission, and the buyer takes on everything that follows.
- A conditional contract. You agree a sale now, but it only completes if planning permission is granted. Until then you keep the land, and the agreement sets out who applies for permission and who pays.
- An option agreement, the route we use. We agree your price at the start, in writing, set above what your land is worth today. We then pay for and run all of the planning work, at our own cost and risk. If permission is granted, we complete the purchase and you receive the agreed price on completion. If it is not, you keep your land and owe nothing.
For land that needs planning permission before it is worth more, an option means you know your price before any work starts and never spend a penny on planning. The ways to sell land for development, compared sets out each route in full.
Selling Land in Surrey Heath: From First Call to Completion
Selling land for development under an option agreement follows the same steps wherever your land is.
- A first conversation. You call us or send the form on this page. We need only your postcode, your name and a phone number or email.
- A free desktop review. Within a few days we look at your land, the planning position in Surrey Heath and the routes open to it, and tell you plainly whether it suits us. The review is free and confidential, with no obligation.
- Heads of terms and the option agreement. If it suits, we agree a price with you in writing, then the option agreement itself. We contribute to your solicitor's and land agent's fees, so it costs you nothing to get it done properly.
- The planning work, at our cost. We pay for the surveys, the design, the planning application and any appeal. You carry on farming, grazing or letting the land as you do now.
- Completion. If planning permission is granted, we complete the purchase and you receive the agreed price on completion. If it is not, you keep your land and owe nothing.
How selling land for development works, step by step gives the detail of each stage and how long it usually takes.
What the Local Plan Means If You Are Selling Land in Surrey Heath
Three things shape the chances of selling land for development in Surrey Heath: the government's latest count of homes built against those needed, the council's five-year housing land supply, and where its local plan stands.
Housing Delivery Test 2025
98%
Meeting its housing requirement.
Five-year housing land supply
7.17 years
Five years or more of deliverable housing land. Position at 1 April 2025, measured against the older standard method, 321 homes a year less 41 a year for Hart's share of unmet need, plus a 5% buffer. Stated by Surrey Heath Borough Council, which gives 3.12 years against the December 2024 standard method.
Checked sourceHomes built against homes needed
950
of 965 needed, April 2022 to March 2025
Most recent strategic plan adopted
February 2012
More than five years old, so its housing figures are usually replaced by the government's standard method.
New plan progress
Latest step
Consultation on the inspector's changes held May to July 2026
Checked source
See how Surrey Heath compares with the other 187 councils we cover
Sources: Housing Delivery Test: 2025 measurement, MHCLG, published 17 August 2026; Local plans: monitoring progress, Planning Inspectorate, August 2026. Local plans move quickly, so always check the council's own website for the latest position.
The planning detail in full
A Heathland Borough Around Camberley
Surrey Heath Borough Council is based in Camberley, and Bagshot is among the borough's other towns. It is a small borough of 95 square kilometres and about 94,500 people. The west is largely built up, though heaths still form a green buffer around Camberley, Lightwater, Deepcut, Frimley, Frimley Green and Mytchett; the east is less urbanised and holds the four parishes of Bisley, Chobham, West End and Windlesham. Chobham Common and Lightwater Country Park belong to the wider Thames Basin Heaths.
- Heath first. The council's own plan report says the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area covers 23% of the borough, with a further 19% inside the 400 metre zone where new homes cannot be built.
- Green Belt second. The same report puts approximately half of the borough in the Metropolitan Green Belt.
- An old plan nearing replacement. The Core Strategy and Development Management Policies date from February 2012. The new Surrey Heath Local Plan 2019 to 2038 was submitted for examination in December 2024.
- On target for delivery. The borough built 950 homes in the Housing Delivery Test 2025 period, when 965 were required.
Put those shares together and the room for new homes is tight. Where a site sits in relation to the heaths often matters more than the housing numbers, and that is where our review starts.
What the 2038 Plan Means for Land for Sale: 5,578 Homes and No Green Belt Release
The plan the council submitted sets a requirement of 5,578 new homes for 2019 to 2038. The standard method of the time gave 321 a year, and the council's July 2024 report says the total reflects the borough's constraints and land supply, and 533 homes to be delivered in Hart towards Surrey Heath's unmet need between 2019 and 2032. The main sources of supply are:
- Mindenhurst, Deepcut (policy HA4), the former Princess Royal Barracks, for 1,200 homes, some already built or under way.
- London Road Block, Camberley (policy HA2), for approximately 550 homes with other town centre uses.
- Camberley town centre more widely, where the council looks for high quality, high density development on key sites.
The report is blunt about the Green Belt: "No Green Belt sites are allocated for residential development in the Plan", although landowners and developers put several forward, including a larger scheme at Fairoaks. Fairoaks is instead recognised as a strategically important employment area.
Through Examination
Hearings ran in September, October and December 2025. In a letter of 21 January 2026 the inspector concluded that, with main modifications, the plan is likely to be capable of being found sound and legally compliant. One housing allocation goes: land to the rear of 1 to 47 Sullivan Road, Camberley, which he found unjustified because of its narrow shape, its closeness to existing homes and its mature trees. The modifications were consulted on from 28 May to 9 July 2026, and the council's plan page records that the inspector is now considering the responses before his final report.
One further point in the council's own words matters for the future. Its FAQ says the plan was examined against national policy published in 2023 and "has a shortfall in housing compared to the recently increased housing requirement for the area."
For an owner of Green Belt land near Chobham or Windlesham, that admitted shortfall is why the plan review, rather than the 2038 plan, is where a sale is most likely to be decided.
Selling Land in Surrey Heath: 7.17 Years or 3.12, Two Yardsticks for One Supply
The council's five-year supply statement, measured at 1 April 2025, finds 2,107 deliverable homes. What those homes amount to depends on the need they are set against, and the council publishes both calculations:
| Step | Main statement | Against the December 2024 method |
|---|---|---|
| Local housing need a year | 321, the older standard method | 684, the current standard method |
| Hart's share of unmet need | 41 a year taken off, leaving 280 | 41 a year taken off, leaving 643 |
| Buffer | 5% | 5% |
| Five-year requirement | 1,470 homes | 3,376 homes |
| Deliverable supply | 2,107 homes | 2,107 homes |
| Result | 7.17 years | 3.12 years |
The main statement uses the older figure under the transitional arrangements that let the new plan be examined against the 2023 framework. The second calculation shows the same supply against today's method. Which yardstick a decision-maker adopts can be argued on an appeal; the council's own documents set both out.
One Figure, Printed Two Ways
The council's monitoring web page summarises the statement as showing 7.71 years. The statement itself gives 7.17 years, and its table produces that figure: 2,107 deliverable homes against a five-year requirement of 1,470. The two differ only in the order of the last two digits, so this page uses the statement's own figure. For a landowner nothing turns on it: either way the older measure puts the borough above five years.
What Adoption Changes
Appendix 9 says that once the new plan is adopted its housing requirement applies to the supply calculation. Spread over 19 years, 5,578 homes is about 294 a year, lower even than the older standard method, so adoption would set the measure far below today's need figure. Under policy S5 of the August 2026 framework, a shortfall would count as evidence of unmet need for well related land outside the Green Belt, and grey belt housing likewise needs evidenced need. On the main figure neither route has that evidence today, which is why the plan review below matters so much here.
SANG: The Permission Behind the Permission, and Land That Can Provide It
The council expects new homes to be matched by Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace, or SANG, which draws walkers away from the heaths, plus a payment towards managing visitors on them. Schemes of fewer than 136 net homes can usually take up capacity at one of the council's SANGs, subject to availability. Larger schemes are expected to find their own, although some in the western urban area around Camberley may use strategic capacity. The council collects SANG money through the Community Infrastructure Levy, and it now asks applicants to request capacity from its Head of Regulatory Services rather than allocating it when an application is validated.
| Council SANG | Capacity shown by the council |
|---|---|
| Blackwater Park, Chobham Place Woods, Swan Lakes | Full |
| Windlemere, Chobham Meadows | Capacity available |
| Hawley Meadows, Shepherd Meadows | Very limited capacity available |
The visitor management payment, known as SAMM, rose on 1 April 2026 to £1,021.86 for an average home, ranging from £596.09 for a one-bedroom home to £1,575.37 for five bedrooms or more. It is a modest, known cost. SANG capacity is the harder question, and with three council SANGs full, it is one of the first things we check. Timing matters too: since 1 August 2019 the council has limited permissions for net new homes to one year rather than three, unless the scheme provides its own SANG, so a scheme here needs to be ready to start soon after approval.
For a landowner there is another side to this. A holding big enough to set aside its own SANG does not depend on the council's dwindling capacity, and land further from the heaths that could serve as SANG for homes elsewhere has a planning role of its own. Our farmland page covers the larger holdings we look at.
Surrey Heath Between Two Plans and Two Councils: When to Sell Land
The next event is the inspector's final report. The council intends to adopt the 2019 to 2038 plan later in 2026, as soon as possible after it arrives. Until then the 2012 policies remain the adopted plan.
The Local Plan Review to 2044, and Its Call for Sites
Because the 2038 plan falls short of the higher housing figure, the council says its successor "must be prepared in a way that meets the new targets". It started the review under the new plan-making system in June 2026. Its timetable, agreed in June, runs as follows:
| Stage | Timetable | Led by |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping consultation | 14 September to 19 October 2026 | Surrey Heath |
| Gateway 1 self-assessment | 26 October 2026 | Surrey Heath |
| Consultation on proposed plan content | June to July 2027 | West Surrey |
| Consultation on the proposed plan | April to May 2028 | West Surrey |
| Submission for examination | October 2028 | West Surrey |
| Adoption | April 2029 | West Surrey |
The call for sites runs until noon on 2 November 2026 and takes housing sites of five homes or more, which the council will assess in its land availability work. With a need figure more than double the plan's, this review is where land beyond the town and village edges, including Green Belt, can be weighed. For what happens to a site once it is submitted, see our guide to calls for sites.
Reorganisation goes ahead in Surrey. On 7 September 2026, launching a review of reorganisation elsewhere, the government said Surrey would not be affected and that East and West Surrey would go live in April 2027. From 1 April 2027 West Surrey Council is the planning authority for the borough. The council says the review plan, if adopted, will form part of West Surrey's development plan but apply only to the current Surrey Heath area, and that a single plan for the larger area is likely in the longer term.
Delivery is not in question. The delivery test, renewed yearly and last published as the Housing Delivery Test 2025 on 17 August 2026, carries no consequence at 98%. A result under 95% would require an action plan, under 85% a 20% buffer on the supply, and under 75% unmet need would be treated as evidenced under S5.
Land Into the Call for Sites, and SANG Settled Early
- Land for the review should go into the call for sites before 2 November, with evidence built up ahead of the 2027 consultation.
- Sites inside the settlements and previously developed land can be looked at now.
- Any site needs its SANG route settled early, as capacity is the step most likely to hold it up.
Questions About Selling Land in Surrey Heath
The council has two supply figures. Which one counts?
The council relies on 7.17 years, measured against the older housing figure. Against the current standard method the same sites give 3.12 years. Once the new plan is adopted, its own requirement becomes the measure. We look at which applies to your site before recommending a route.
Is land within 400 metres of the heath worth asking about?
For homes, rarely: the council treats that zone as one where new housing cannot go. Land there may still suit other uses, or play a part as open space for a scheme next door, so it is worth a look.
Should I put my field into the call for sites before 2 November?
If it could take five or more homes, yes. It is the way into the plan review, which has to find far more homes than the 2038 plan. We can prepare the submission and the evidence behind it at our cost.
Is there any SANG left for a small scheme?
Some. The council shows capacity at Windlemere and Chobham Meadows and very little at Hawley Meadows and Shepherd Meadows, with three other sites full. Capacity is requested from the council, so we check it before committing to a scheme.
What happens to my application if West Surrey takes over midway?
West Surrey Council becomes the planning authority for the Surrey Heath area on 1 April 2027. An application is decided by whichever council holds that role at the time, under the plan then in force.
What price will you pay for my land?
We agree a fixed price with you at the start, before any planning work begins, and it is set above what your land is worth today. We cannot name a figure before we have looked at your land, because it depends on the site itself: its size, its access, how many homes it could take and the costs that come off land value, such as affordable housing, road works and drainage. After the free desktop review we can talk about a price, and once agreed it is written into the agreement.
When would I be paid?
You receive the agreed price on completion, once planning permission has been secured. The agreement sets out the milestones along the way, and it continues while any planning application or appeal is being decided. Until completion you carry on using your land as you do now, and we pay for all of the planning. If permission is not granted, you keep your land and owe nothing.
More Questions Landowners Selling Land in Surrey Heath Ask
The same questions come up wherever land is put forward. Each is answered in full in our guides, and with the local plan the main route in Surrey Heath, these are the ones that matter most here.
Land Agreements · 21 min read
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How the Price for Your Land Is Worked Out in an Option Agreement
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Land Agreements · 22 min read
Should I Sell My Land With or Without Planning Permission First?
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What Happens If Planning Is Refused, and What Happens While It Is Being Decided
What a planning refusal means for a landowner under an option agreement: appeals, resubmissions, timescales, and why you keep your land and owe nothing.
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Land Agreements · 23 min read
Selling Land for Development, Step by Step: From First Thought to Completion
How selling land for development works, stage by stage: title checks, a free review, heads of terms, the agreement, planning, completion and tax.
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Practical Issues · 23 min read
Can I Keep My House, or a Plot for My Family, and Put the Rest of My Land Forward?
How to keep your house, garden or a family plot and sell the rest: splitting a title, rights for the land you keep, design, lenders and tax relief.
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Selling Land in Surrey Heath? Tell Us About It
It takes about two minutes. We only need your postcode, your name and a phone number or email; the rest helps us look properly.
- We reply within 2 working days, by phone or email, whichever you prefer.
- The desktop review is free and confidential, with no obligation.
- If we agree terms, we pay for all of the planning, which on a larger site can reach £300,000.
More in Surrey
County overview
Selling Land in Surrey
Sell land for development in Surrey: free review, we pay for all the planning, price agreed first. If it fails, you keep your land and owe nothing.
Neighbouring council · Homes built: 102% of need
Selling Land in Guildford
Sell land in Guildford, near Ash. Free review. We pay for all the planning and agree your price first. If it fails, you keep your land and owe nothing.
Neighbouring council · Homes built: 97% of need
Selling Land in Woking
Sell land in Woking, near Knaphill. Free review. We pay for all the planning and agree your price first. If it fails, you keep your land and owe nothing.
Neighbouring council · Homes built: 94% of need
Selling Land in Runnymede
Sell land for development in Runnymede: free review, we pay for all the planning, price agreed first. If it fails, you keep your land and owe nothing.
Homes built: 102% of need
Selling Land in Reigate and Banstead
Sell land in Reigate and Banstead. Free review. We pay for all the planning and agree your price up front. If it fails, you keep your land and owe nothing.
Homes built: 117% of need
Selling Land in Waverley
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Homes built: 59% of need
Selling Land in Elmbridge
Sell land for development in Elmbridge: free review, we pay for all the planning, price agreed first. If it fails, you keep your land and owe nothing.
Homes built: 33% of need
Selling Land in Epsom and Ewell
Sell land in Epsom and Ewell. Free review. We pay for all the planning and agree your price up front. If it fails, you keep your land and owe nothing.
Homes built: 72% of need
Selling Land in Mole Valley
Sell land for development in Mole Valley: free review, we pay for all the planning, price agreed first. If it fails, you keep your land and owe nothing.
Homes built: 33% of need
Selling Land in Spelthorne
Sell land for development in Spelthorne: free review, we pay for all the planning, price agreed first. If it fails, you keep your land and owe nothing.
Homes built: 38% of need
Selling Land in Tandridge
Sell land for development in Tandridge: free review, we pay for all the planning, price agreed first. If it fails, you keep your land and owe nothing.
Neighbouring Councils Beyond Surrey
- Bracknell ForestBerkshire · 3.53 years of housing land
- HartHampshire · 2.07 years of housing land
- RushmoorHampshire · 4.74 years of housing land
- Windsor and MaidenheadBerkshire · 4.04 years of housing land
Sources
- Surrey Heath Borough Council: New Local Plan (examination status)
- Surrey Heath Borough Council: Pre-Submission Local Plan 2019 to 2038, report to Full Council (July 2024)
- Planning Inspectorate: Inspector's post-hearings letter, Surrey Heath Local Plan (January 2026)
- Surrey Heath Borough Council: Five Year Land Supply Statement, SLAA 2025 Appendix 10 (base date 1 April 2025)
- Surrey Heath Borough Council: NPPF 2024 implications, SLAA 2025 Appendix 9
- Surrey Heath Borough Council: Monitoring the Local Plan
- Surrey Heath Borough Council: SANG and SAMM mitigation
- Surrey Heath Borough Council: Local Plan Review timetable (June 2026)
- Surrey Heath Borough Council: Local Plan Review call for sites
- Surrey Heath Borough Council: Local Plan Review frequently asked questions
- GOV.UK: Review of local government reorganisation launched (7 September 2026)
- Wikipedia: Surrey Heath
Figures on this page come from the Housing Delivery Test 2025 (published 17 August 2026) and the Planning Inspectorate's local plan monitoring to August 2026, with newer plan milestones checked on 24 September 2026. We update the page when new results or plan milestones are published. Planning positions change quickly, so always check the council's own website before relying on it.