Sell land for affordable homes in Preston
Whether your land is in Preston itself or in the villages between Preston and Leyland, 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.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
- Independent advice encouraged
Tell us about your land
We'll check the title and planning, then call you.
Where Preston sits
Preston (PR1) sits in OS grid square SD52, where it is the main town we cover. Sites between here and Leyland or Blackburn are just as much of interest to us.
Farmland on the coastal plain, the Forest of Bowland National Landscape inland, and green belt around Preston, Blackpool and the east Lancashire towns.
| Town | Preston |
|---|---|
| County | Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | PR1 |
| OS grid square | SD52 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Leyland (5 mi), Chorley (9 mi), Blackburn (9 mi) |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |
Land we're keen to see around Preston
- 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
- 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.
The things that move our offer
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.
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.
Choosing how to sell
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.
What England's rules mean for your land
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 plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Your title number, if you know it
- Any planning applications or letters
- Photos of the land and its access
What people ask us about land for affordable housing
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 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 buy land in Preston?
Yes. We consider land in and around Preston and across Lancashire. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.
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 Preston
- Land for affordable homes in Lancashire
Get a straight answer about your land
Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.