Sell land for affordable homes in Walkden
Thinking about whether to sell land for affordable homes in Walkden? 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.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- No pressure to decide
- Independent advice encouraged
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Where Walkden sits
Walkden (M28) sits in OS grid square SD70, some 7 miles west of Manchester. Sites between here and Farnworth or Tyldesley are just as much of interest to us.
| Town | Walkden |
|---|---|
| County | Greater Manchester |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | M28 |
| OS grid square | SD70 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Farnworth (2 mi), Swinton (2 mi), Tyldesley (3 mi) |
| Distance from Manchester | About 7 miles west |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |
What makes land for affordable housing near Walkden worth an offer
- Small fields or paddocks adjoining a village
- Villages with evidence of local housing need
- Sites with safe access and walking routes to village facilities
- Parish councils open to a community-led scheme
Exception sites work differently from normal housing land. The price is lower than open-market development land but well above agricultural value, and the homes stay affordable for the community.
The things that move our offer
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.
Scheme size
Exception sites are usually small and proportionate to the village.
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.
What happens next
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode or address and a rough size.
We do the homework
We read the title and planning record and check flood risk and access.
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.
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.
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
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Any planning applications or letters
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
Common questions
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.
Who lives in the homes?
Usually people with a local connection who can't afford market housing, chosen under rules set in a legal agreement.
Do you buy land in Walkden?
Yes. We consider land in and around Walkden and across Greater Manchester. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.
More land we buy in Walkden
- 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 Walkden
- Land for affordable homes in Greater Manchester
Ready to talk about your land in Walkden?
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.