Open for submissions
St Helens Borough Council is inviting land for homes, businesses, community facilities and other uses. Use its 2026 Call for Sites form to put your land forward.[1]
We can look at your land, explain what may be possible and help you prepare a clear submission. A first review is free, with no obligation to continue.
Published deadline: 6 October 2026, 5pm.
Free advice to help you decide what to do next. No obligation.
This form sends your details to Value My Land. It does not send them to the council.
A guide for landowners
The council is asking people to suggest land that could meet future needs. This is a Call for Sites. It helps the council decide which places deserve a closer look when it plans future development. You can contact us with a location and a rough idea; we can explain whether it is worth exploring and what information the council needs.
Council: St Helens Borough Council.
Putting land forward is not a planning application and does not give permission to build. The council must still assess the land and make its own decisions.
Where to start
A useful submission tells the council which land you mean, what it is used for and what you think could happen there. We can help you decide whether the whole site or only part should be considered and what information supports that idea.
An old business site and an open field will not raise the same questions. For buildings and yards, we would ask about occupiers and the previous use. For open land, we would look at nearby development, access and features that should be kept clear.
Not sure where to start?
Use our free Land Development Assessment Tool or ask us to look at your land. We can explain what might be possible and what needs a closer look. You do not have to use our services afterwards.
A closer look at your land
These are the things we would look at when reviewing your land. They are not a council decision or a promise that you can build. We explain what is known and what may need further investigation.
We would look at nearby homes, businesses and local facilities before discussing a possible use. An idea should fit its surroundings and be something the owner is willing to pursue. We can help explain why a particular use is worth considering.
For a yard or business property, we would ask which buildings would stay and who currently occupies the land. Tenants, shared services or existing operations may affect the proposal. Tell us what you know rather than assume the site can be cleared immediately.
We would check the entrance and whether improvements would need extra land. A shared drive may involve other people’s rights. Identifying these questions early helps avoid drawing a proposal that cannot be reached safely or legally.
Trees, watercourses, drainage areas, ground conditions and nearby properties can affect what fits. We can help identify the likely building area before you use a simple acreage calculation to estimate homes or business space.
Putting your land forward
Download the Local Plan Call for Sites Form 2026 from the council’s consultation page and follow its return instructions. Check that you have chosen the site form, not the scoping or environmental-response form. The planning team can be contacted at planningpolicy@sthelens.gov.uk.[1]
Use a clear map showing the edges of your land, any buildings and the entrance from the road. Give the total land size. Show any extra land needed for access, drainage or water and electricity connections, and say who owns it. A postcode alone does not show the exact land you are putting forward.
Say what you think the land could be used for, such as homes or business premises. Explain whether you are putting forward all of it or only part. Leave room for roads, drainage, trees and other features when suggesting how much could be built. Do not assume every part can be built on.
Give details of the owner and anyone currently using the land. Explain when it could become available. Mention any tenant, business or agreement that could affect this. If you act for the owner, make that clear. Do not say a neighbour’s land is available unless this has been confirmed.
Find any previous council letters, plans or reports about access, flooding, drainage, wildlife, historic buildings or ground conditions. Say what is known and what still needs checking. You do not need to order every possible report before asking us for help. We can explain which information is most useful.
Follow the council’s instructions and check which plans and documents it asks for. Make sure the form and maps all describe the same land and idea. Leave time to gather anything missing before the deadline. An old form or a saved draft may not be enough.
Save the completed form, maps and other documents, along with the council’s confirmation or reference number. Check that you have actually sent the form rather than just saved it. Keep copies of any later changes. Contacting us is separate from sending your details to the council.
This checklist helps you prepare. You may not need everything at the start. The council’s form explains what you must send.
Help at each stage
We can help St Helens landowners turn a broad idea into a clear map and explanation. We can review information already held, identify missing details and discuss help with the 2026 council form.
We look at maps and the information available about your land. We consider nearby development, road access, planning rules and issues such as flooding. We then explain whether it is worth looking into further. You do not need planning permission or a finished set of plans to contact us.
We can help you decide what the land might be used for and which part has the best chance of being developed. We explain the options, likely difficulties and next steps. Some land may need to be considered through the council’s longer-term plans.
We can help prepare the council’s form, a map of your land and an explanation of why it should be considered. Before we start, we agree the work, who will do it and the timescale. Sending us an enquiry does not mean we have agreed to submit your land.
Some land needs a closer look at road access, flooding, drainage, wildlife or its effect on the surrounding area. We can arrange the right specialist help where needed. We explain which checks matter most before you commit to a large set of reports.
For suitable land, we may agree to pay for and manage the planning work at our own cost and risk. You keep ownership of the land. We explain our fee, any costs to be repaid and the terms before you decide. This is called a land promotion agreement.
If we agree to continue working together, we can review the council’s comments and help you respond. We can also help update your plans or provide more information. Where the planning outcome makes a sale possible, we can help consider marketing the land to developers.
The first review is free. Further work and any fees or agreement must be discussed separately. We cannot promise that the council will choose your land, grant planning permission or accept a late form. We also cannot guarantee a sale price.
Let us help with the paperwork
Tell us where your land is and roughly how large it is. We can look at the opportunity and explain how we could help you put it forward. Our form contacts Value My Land; it does not send your land details to the council.
Help with planning costs
Putting your land forward can be the first step towards getting planning permission. For suitable land, we can agree to pay for and manage the planning work at our own cost and risk. This can include preparing plans, arranging reports and dealing with the council. You keep ownership of the land.
If the planning work succeeds, the land can be offered for sale to developers. Our agreed fee and the costs set out in the agreement are paid from the sale money. Before work starts, we agree how costs, decisions and any future sale will be handled.
We do not fund every site. We first look at the land and discuss what may be possible. Any funding arrangement must be agreed separately. You should ask your own solicitor to advise you before signing a land promotion agreement.
After you send your details
Save the form, map and proof of submission. Keep any later request for information with the same records. If the council publishes comments on your land, we can help explain the reasons and whether further information or a revised idea may be worthwhile.
When the council gives its view, read the reasons as well as the result. It may have the wrong boundary or old information, or it may raise a problem that needs more work. We can help you understand its comments and decide how to respond.
The next step might be to provide more information, suggest a smaller building area or consider a different use. It may also be sensible to take a different approach. We can discuss the options and agree any further work with you. We cannot promise that the council will choose your land.
Your questions answered
No. The council invites a range of uses, including business, retail, leisure, tourism, community and environmental uses.[1]
Use the Local Plan Call for Sites Form 2026. The same page also contains separate forms for other consultations and information about older exercises.[1]
No. Our form only sends your details to Value My Land. You still need a separate council submission. We must agree any work before acting for you. Contacting us does not extend the council’s deadline or mean your land has been put forward.
Start with the postcode or location and the approximate size of the land. Tell us whether you own it or are acting for the owner. We will explain what else would help. There is no need to send private legal or financial documents with your first enquiry.
No. We can explain the strengths of your land, any problems and the work that may help. The council makes its own decision. A review does not guarantee that your land will be chosen or that you will get planning permission.
We can discuss helping with the council submission, depending on the land and the time available. We first need to agree the work, responsibilities and terms. Sending an enquiry or using our tool does not mean we have agreed to submit your land.
The first review is free and you do not have to take things further. For suitable land, we may agree to pay for and manage the planning work at our own cost and risk. Our fee and agreed costs are then paid from the land sale money, under the terms of a separate agreement.
Yes. Our Land Development Assessment Tool gives you a first look at what might be possible. You can then contact us to discuss the result. The tool does not give planning permission or send your land details to the council. Further checks may be needed.
Free land review. No obligation.
Tell us where your land is and roughly how large it is. We will look at the details and explain what you could do next. We can discuss whether you need a first review, help with the council’s form or longer-term planning support.
You do not need to pay for reports before contacting us. We can discuss any existing plans or council letters after your first enquiry.
This form contacts Value My Land, not the council. We must agree any further work with you. Sending this form does not submit your land to the council or reserve a place in an assessment.
Useful council links
This is a Value My Land guide, not a council website. The practical advice and descriptions of our services are our own. Use the council links for its requirements. Dates, forms and submission arrangements can change.
