Sell land for affordable homes in Canterbury
We consider land for affordable housing in Canterbury and across Kent, from sites close to the CT1 postcode district out towards Whitstable and Herne Bay.
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
- Independent advice encouraged
Selling land near Canterbury?
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Where Canterbury sits
The land we're most interested in near Canterbury sits on the edge of the built-up area or in the villages towards Whitstable (6 miles) and Herne Bay (7 miles).
Metropolitan Green Belt in the west, the Kent Downs and High Weald National Landscapes, and growth around Ashford, Maidstone and the Medway towns.
| Town | Canterbury |
|---|---|
| County | Kent |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | CT1 |
| OS grid square | TR15 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Whitstable (6 mi), Herne Bay (7 mi), Faversham (9 mi) |
| Distance from Maidstone | About 24 miles 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 Canterbury
- Small fields or paddocks adjoining a village
- Land suitable for a handful of homes up to a small scheme
- Land owned by families, estates, churches or charities
- Sites where a small share of market homes could help viability, where policy allows it
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.
What affects the price
Local policy
Each council sets its own rules for exception sites, including whether any market homes are allowed.
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.
Long-term control
Legal agreements keep the homes affordable, often with local occupancy rules.
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.
From first call to completion
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode or address and a rough size.
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.
Planning and legal points for land in Kent
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
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Your title number, if you know it
- Photos of the land and its access
Questions from landowners near Canterbury
Do rural exception sites exist in Wales?
Yes. Welsh planning policy also supports rural exception sites for affordable housing that meets local need.
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 plan affordable housing?
Yes. Affordable and social housing is part of the land-to-homes work the S&K Group is setting out to do, and we can talk through how a scheme on your land might work.
Do you cover the villages around Canterbury?
Yes. Villages between Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
Land for affordable homes near Canterbury
Other land in Canterbury
- 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 Canterbury
- Land for affordable homes in Kent
Find out what we'd pay for your land near Canterbury
Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.