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Sell land for affordable homes in Hatfield

For owners of land for affordable housing in and around Hatfield, we offer four ways to sell, from a clean outright purchase to deals that pay more once planning is granted.

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.

  • Figures explained, so you can check them
  • No pressure to decide
  • Independent advice encouraged

Tell us about your land

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

Where Hatfield sits

Hatfield (AL10) sits in OS grid square TL20, roughly 10 miles north-east of Watford. Sites between here and Welwyn Garden City or Potters Bar are just as much of interest to us.

TownHatfield
CountyHertfordshire
CountryEngland
Postcode districtAL10
OS grid squareTL20
Nearest towns we coverWelwyn Garden City (3 mi), St Albans (5 mi), Potters Bar (5 mi)
Distance from WatfordAbout 10 miles north-east
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 makes land for affordable housing near Hatfield worth an offer

  • Small fields or paddocks adjoining a village
  • Parish councils open to a community-led scheme
  • Land owned by families, estates, churches or charities
  • Sites where a small share of market homes could help viability, where policy allows it

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

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.

Long-term control

Legal agreements keep the homes affordable, often with local occupancy rules.

What happens next

  1. Tell us about your land

    Send the postcode or address and a rough size.

  2. We check it properly

    Title, planning history, access, flood maps and local policy.

  3. You get a written offer

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

  4. 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.

Common problems, and how we handle them

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

  • A rough size, in acres or hectares
  • Your title number, if you know it
  • Any planning applications or letters
  • Details of any tenants or grazing agreements

Questions from landowners near Hatfield

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 Hatfield?

Yes. We consider land in and around Hatfield and across Hertfordshire. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.

Find out what we'd pay for your land near Hatfield

Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.