Sell land for affordable homes in Bishops Stortford
For owners of land for affordable housing in and around Bishops Stortford, we offer four ways to sell, from a clean outright purchase to deals that pay more once planning is granted.
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.
- Free appraisal and written offer
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
Get an offer for land in Bishops Stortford
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Land around Bishops Stortford
The land we're most interested in near Bishops Stortford sits on the edge of the built-up area or in the villages towards Harlow (7 miles) and Hoddesdon (10 miles).
Most of the county is Metropolitan Green Belt, which makes land with genuine development prospects scarce and keenly contested.
| Town | Bishops Stortford |
|---|---|
| County | Hertfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | CM23 |
| OS grid square | TL42 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Harlow (7 mi), Hoddesdon (10 mi), Hertford (11 mi) |
| Distance from Watford | About 28 miles north-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 Bishops Stortford
- Small fields or paddocks adjoining a village
- Villages with evidence of local housing need
- Land suitable for a handful of homes up to a small 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
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.
Scheme size
Exception sites are usually small and proportionate to the village.
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.
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.
When the land isn't straightforward
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.
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.
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
Common questions
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.
Do rural exception sites exist in Wales?
Yes. Welsh planning policy also supports rural exception sites for affordable housing that meets local need.
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.
Can you visit land near Bishops Stortford?
Yes. Once we've looked at the title and planning position, we arrange a site visit if the land looks suitable. Send the address or postcode to start.
Other land types and routes
- 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 Bishops Stortford
- Land for affordable homes in Hertfordshire
Ready to talk about your land in Bishops Stortford?
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.