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Sell land for affordable homes in Braintree

Our interest in land for affordable housing around Braintree is simple: we're buying land to build homes on, so we look for sites where homes are realistic and price them on that basis.

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.

  • Free appraisal and written offer
  • No pressure to decide
  • Independent advice encouraged

Selling land near Braintree?

We'll check the title and planning, then call you.

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

Where Braintree sits

Braintree (CM7) sits in OS grid square TL72, about 25 miles north of Southend-on-Sea. Sites between here and Witham or Maldon are just as much of interest to us.

Metropolitan Green Belt covers the south and west of the county, while mid and north Essex have larger areas of farmland around growing towns.

TownBraintree
CountyEssex
CountryEngland
Postcode districtCM7
OS grid squareTL72
Nearest towns we coverWitham (7 mi), Chelmsford (10 mi), Maldon (11 mi)
Distance from Southend-on-SeaAbout 25 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

What we look for around Braintree

  • Villages with evidence of local housing need
  • Sites with safe access and walking routes to village facilities
  • Land suitable for a handful of homes up to a small scheme
  • Land owned by families, estates, churches or charities

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.

The things that move our offer

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.

Land price norms

Exception site land is typically priced well above farmland but below open-market housing land.

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. Tell us about your land

    Send the postcode or address and a rough size.

  2. We do the homework

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

  3. You get a written offer

    With the main figures behind it, so your adviser can check it.

  4. Solicitors complete the sale

    Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.

What England's rules mean for your land

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.

Awkward details we deal with

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
  • A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
  • Any planning applications or letters
  • Photos of the land and its access

Questions from landowners near Braintree

What is a rural exception site?

It is a small site, usually next to a village, where planning permission can be granted for affordable homes as an exception to normal policy, to meet a proven 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 Braintree?

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.

Nearby towns

Other land types and routes

Get a straight answer about your land

A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.

Get an offerCall 0800 088 6248