Sell land for affordable homes in Northumberland
If you're looking to sell land for affordable homes anywhere in Northumberland, we'll appraise it for free and explain our offer in writing.
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.
- Figures explained, so you can check them
- No pressure to decide
- Independent advice encouraged
Get an offer for land in Northumberland
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Land for affordable homes in Northumberland at a glance
Sparsely populated, with Northumberland National Park, the Northumberland Coast National Landscape, and green belt around the south-east towns near Tyneside.
| County | Northumberland |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Towns we cover here | 10 |
| Main town | Blyth |
| Example postcode districts | NE20, NE22, NE23, NE24, NE42 |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
Is your land in Northumberland a good fit?
- 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
- Parish councils open to a community-led scheme
- Land owned by families, estates, churches or charities
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.
Housing need
A local housing needs survey usually has to show demand for the homes.
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.
Choosing how to sell
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.
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.
How a sale works
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.
We put an offer in writing
It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.
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
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
- The address or postcode
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Your title number, if you know it
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
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.
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.
Do you buy land in Northumberland?
Yes. We consider land across Northumberland, from Blyth to the smaller towns and villages. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, and we'll tell you either way.
Land for affordable homes by town in Northumberland
Find out what we'd pay for your land in Northumberland
Send the postcode and a rough size and we'll come back with a straight answer.