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Sell land for affordable homes in St Albans

Whether your land is in St Albans itself or in the villages between St Albans and Harpenden, we'll look at it properly before making any offer.

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

Tell us about your land

Send the postcode and a rough size.

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Please enter a postcode, or at least the first half.
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Free and no obligation. We're the buyer, so there's no commission.

Where St Albans sits

St Albans (AL1) sits in OS grid square TL10, some 7 miles north of Watford. Sites between here and Harpenden or Hemel Hempstead are just as much of interest to us.

Most of the county is Metropolitan Green Belt, which makes land with genuine development prospects scarce and keenly contested.

TownSt Albans
CountyHertfordshire
CountryEngland
Postcode districtAL1
OS grid squareTL10
Nearest towns we coverHarpenden (5 mi), Hatfield (5 mi), Hemel Hempstead (5 mi)
Distance from WatfordAbout 7 miles north
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 we look for around St Albans

  • Small fields or paddocks adjoining a village
  • Sites with safe access and walking routes to village facilities
  • Parish councils open to a community-led scheme
  • Land owned by families, estates, churches or charities

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.

What affects the price

Local policy

Each council sets its own rules for exception sites, including whether any market homes are allowed.

Land price norms

Exception site land is typically priced well above farmland but below open-market housing land.

Tenure mix

Social rent, affordable rent and shared ownership homes produce different values.

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

  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. We put an offer in writing

    It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.

  4. 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

  • The address or postcode
  • A rough size, in acres or hectares
  • A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
  • Any planning applications or letters

Your questions answered

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.

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.

Do you buy land in St Albans?

Yes. We consider land in and around St Albans 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.

Land for affordable homes near St Albans

Other land types and routes

Get a straight answer about your land

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

Get an offerCall 0800 088 6248