Land Bridging Loans London, UK

Yes. Bridging finance is one of the few funding options for land without planning consent. Lenders will place at a lower loan-to-value than land with planning — typically 40–50% for genuine pre-planning purchases — and want to see a credible planning strategy: pre-application advice from the local authority, a planning consultant engaged, and a clear timeline. The exit is usually either sale to a developer once planning is granted, or refinance to development finance for a self-build.

LTV depends primarily on planning status:

No planning permission: 40–50% of open-market value
Outline planning granted: 55–65%
Full detailed planning granted: 65–70%
Serviced plots / infrastructure in place: up to 70%

Location, plot size, marketability and the borrower's development experience all affect the specific LTV within these ranges. Prime home-counties land with detailed planning attracts higher LTV than remote agricultural land with only outline consent.

Three common exits, and lenders want to see which one is credible before offering terms:

Onward sale. Buy at a discount, secure planning gain or improvement, sell to a developer or self-builder at higher value. Typical term 12–18 months.

Refinance to development finance. Use the bridge to acquire the site, use planning gain and comparables to secure development finance for the build phase. Typical term 6–12 months.

Refinance to standard mortgage on completed self-build. Bridge → dev finance → self-build mortgage. Less common but valid for owner-occupier self-build projects.

Whichever exit is planned needs upfront evidence: sale comparables, dev finance heads of terms, or a self-build mortgage lender's decision in principle.

Yes — land at auction is one of the most common land bridging use cases. Auction lots often include complex title, unusual boundaries, restrictive covenants, or planning uncertainty that make standard finance impossible in the 28-day completion window. We work to the auction deadline as standard, with an indicative offer within 48 hours of a completed enquiry and full completion typically within 3 weeks. Both residential and commercial land at auction is fundable, subject to satisfactory legal and survey.

Yes, though brownfield and former commercial land brings additional considerations. Contamination reports (Phase 1 environmental survey minimum, Phase 2 if flagged) are usually required upfront and their findings affect both the loan amount and the term. Sites with known contamination can still be funded, but the lender may require remediation to be evidenced or budgeted before drawdown. Former industrial sites, petrol stations, and dry cleaners frequently need this treatment.

Land bridging funds the land acquisition only — no build costs, no professional fees, no interest reserve for the build phase. Term is typically 6–18 months. Development finance funds the land plus the build costs plus professional fees plus contingency plus rolled interest, and runs 12–36 months matching the build programme. Many developers use both sequentially: land bridging to secure the site (fast, flexible), then refinance to development finance once planning is granted and the build is ready to start. Land bridging is faster and simpler to arrange; development finance is a larger and more thoroughly underwritten facility.

Standard requirements: title documents or Land Registry office copies, planning status confirmation (planning decision notice or pre-application correspondence), site plan, valuation or recent purchase comparables, developer CV showing any prior schemes, source of funds and identity documentation. For brownfield sites, add environmental reports. For sites where planning is being pursued, the planning consultant's timeline and budget. The stronger and cleaner the documentation, the faster the deal completes and the sharper the pricing.