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Sell land for affordable homes in Chester-le-Street

If you own land around Chester-le-Street and want a straight answer about it, we'll tell you whether we can buy it, on what terms, and what the offer is based on.

A rural exception site is a small site on the edge of a village, where housing would not normally be allowed, that can be granted permission for affordable homes to meet a local need. Land sold for this purpose usually achieves more than farmland value, though less than open-market housing land.

  • Figures explained, so you can check them
  • No pressure to decide
  • Independent advice encouraged

Tell us about your land

Send the postcode and a rough size.

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Free and no obligation. We're the buyer, so there's no commission.

Land around Chester-le-Street

Our appraisals for Chester-le-Street start with the DH3 postcode district and the OS grid square NZ25, then widen out to Washington, Houghton-le-Spring and Stanley, all within about 5 miles.

Former coalfield villages in the east, the North Pennines National Landscape to the west, and green belt around Durham city linking with Tyne and Wear.

TownChester-le-Street
CountyCounty Durham
CountryEngland
Postcode districtDH3
OS grid squareNZ25
Nearest towns we coverWashington (4 mi), Houghton-le-Spring (5 mi), Stanley (5 mi)
Distance from DarlingtonAbout 23 miles north
Planning systemNational Planning Policy Framework and local plan
Ways to sellOutright, subject to planning, option or joint venture
Small group of new brick homes with slate roofs on the edge of a village

Land we're keen to see around Chester-le-Street

  • Small fields or paddocks adjoining a village
  • Land suitable for a handful of homes up to a small scheme
  • Parish councils open to a community-led scheme
  • Sites where a small share of market homes could help viability, where policy allows it

Affordable and social housing is part of the land-to-homes work we're setting out to do. If you own land on the edge of a village and want it to house local people, a rural exception scheme may be the right route.

What decides the value of land for affordable housing near Chester-le-Street

Local policy

Each council sets its own rules for exception sites, including whether any market homes are allowed.

Housing need

A local housing needs survey usually has to show demand for the homes.

Tenure mix

Social rent, affordable rent and shared ownership homes produce different values.

Access and services

Costs of roads and drainage come out of a smaller budget than market housing.

Ways to sell this land

Outright purchase

Possible once an exception scheme has permission.

Subject-to-planning sale

The usual route: we agree a price and complete when permission is granted.

Option agreements

Useful while housing need is evidenced and a scheme is prepared.

Joint ventures

Can suit estates and charities that want an ongoing say in the homes.

How a sale works

  1. Send us the address

    A postcode, a plan or a what3words location is enough to start.

  2. We do the homework

    We read the title and planning record and check flood risk and access.

  3. We put an offer in writing

    It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.

  4. The legal work

    Your solicitor and ours handle the contract through to completion.

Rules that apply in England

Planning framework

Planning decisions in England follow the National Planning Policy Framework, revised in August 2026, and the local plan, prepared by the council or, in a national park, the park authority. Plans are reviewed periodically, which is when new housing sites are usually allocated.

Section 106 and CIL

Larger schemes often need a Section 106 agreement for affordable housing or contributions, and councils that have adopted the Community Infrastructure Levy charge it per square metre of new floorspace.

Rural exception sites

The National Planning Policy Framework supports small rural exception sites for affordable homes that meet a local need.

When the land isn't straightforward

The village has no recent housing survey

Need can be evidenced through a new survey with the parish council and the council's housing team.

You're a charity or trust

Charity trustees usually need advice from a designated adviser before disposing of land. We'll work with your adviser.

Useful to send us

  • The address or postcode
  • Your title number, if you know it
  • Any planning applications or letters
  • Details of any tenants or grazing agreements

Questions from landowners near Chester-le-Street

Do rural exception sites exist in Wales?

Yes. Welsh planning policy also supports rural exception sites for affordable housing that meets local need.

Will I get open-market land value?

No. Exception sites are priced below open-market housing land because the homes must stay affordable. The price is still usually well above agricultural value.

Can some homes be sold on the open market?

Some councils allow a small number of market homes to make a scheme viable. It depends on local policy.

How do I get an offer for land in Chester-le-Street?

Use the form on this page or call 0800 088 6248. Tell us the postcode, the rough size and anything you know about planning, and we'll come back to you.

Land for affordable homes near Chester-le-Street

Other land types and routes

Find out what we'd pay for your land near Chester-le-Street

Send the postcode and a rough size. We'll check the title and planning position and come back to you.

Get an offerCall 0800 088 6248