Sell land for affordable homes in Heywood
Thinking about whether to sell land for affordable homes in Heywood? A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and how we got there, with no obligation to go further.
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.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
Get an offer for land in Heywood
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Heywood at a glance
The land we're most interested in near Heywood sits on the edge of the built-up area or in the villages towards Middleton (3 miles) and Rochdale (3 miles).
A dense urban core where most new homes are on brownfield land, with green belt on the edges climbing towards the Pennines.
| Town | Heywood |
|---|---|
| County | Greater Manchester |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | OL10 |
| OS grid square | SD81 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Middleton (3 mi), Rochdale (3 mi), Bury (3 mi) |
| Distance from Manchester | About 8 miles north |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |
What we look for around Heywood
- Villages with evidence of local housing need
- 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
Many landowners like the idea of land helping local families. We explain how exception sites work, what the price is based on and how local need is shown.
How we arrive at a figure for land in Greater Manchester
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.
Long-term control
Legal agreements keep the homes affordable, often with local occupancy rules.
Four routes to a sale
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.
What happens next
Send us the address
A postcode, a plan or a what3words location is enough to start.
We check it properly
Title, planning history, access, flood maps and local policy.
We put an offer in writing
It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.
Solicitors complete the sale
Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.
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.
Awkward details we deal with
You're worried about the price
Exception site land sells for less than market housing land by design. We'll show you the basis so you can compare it with farmland value.
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
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Your title number, if you know it
- Photos of the land and its access
What people ask us about land for affordable housing
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.
Do you cover the villages around Heywood?
Yes. Villages between Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
Nearby towns
Other land in Heywood
- Development land
- Land with planning permission
- Land without planning permission
- Large strategic sites
- Green belt and grey belt land
- Farmland and agricultural land
- Paddocks and equestrian land
- Barns and rural buildings
- Building plots
- Garden land and backland
- Infill plots and gap sites
- Small sites
- Garage sites
- Brownfield land
- Redundant commercial and industrial land
- Inherited and probate land
- Landlocked land and access problems
- Outright purchase
- Subject-to-planning sale
- Option agreements
- Joint ventures
- All land in Heywood
- Land for affordable homes in Greater Manchester
Get a straight answer about your land
Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.