Sell land for affordable homes in Portsmouth
Thinking about whether to sell land for affordable homes in Portsmouth? A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and how we got there, with no obligation to go further.
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.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Independent advice encouraged
Selling land near Portsmouth?
We'll check the title and planning, then call you.
Where Portsmouth sits
Land around Portsmouth falls under England's planning system. The closest towns we also cover are Gosport, 2 miles away, and Fareham, 5 miles away, and Southampton is 15 miles away.
| Town | Portsmouth |
|---|---|
| County | Hampshire |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | PO5 |
| OS grid square | SU60 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Gosport (2 mi), Fareham (5 mi), Ryde (6 mi) |
| Distance from Southampton | About 15 miles south-east |
| 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 Portsmouth
- 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
- Sites where a small share of market homes could help viability, where policy allows it
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.
What affects the price
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.
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
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.
You get a written offer
With the main figures behind it, so your adviser can check it.
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.
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
- Any planning applications or letters
- Photos of the land and its access
Questions from landowners near Portsmouth
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.
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 cover the villages around Portsmouth?
Yes. Villages between Portsmouth, Gosport and Fareham often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
More land we buy in Portsmouth
- 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 Portsmouth
- Land for affordable homes in Hampshire
Find out what we'd pay for your land near Portsmouth
Send the postcode and a rough size. We'll check the title and planning position and come back to you.