Sell land for affordable homes in Crawley
For owners of land for affordable housing in and around Crawley, we offer four ways to sell, from a clean outright purchase to deals that pay more once planning is granted.
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.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
- No pressure to decide
Selling land near Crawley?
Send the postcode and a rough size.
Land around Crawley
The land we're most interested in near Crawley sits on the edge of the built-up area or in the villages towards Horley (4 miles) and Horsham (7 miles).
The South Downs National Park, Chichester Harbour and High Weald National Landscapes, and water neutrality rules that have affected new homes in the north of the county.
| Town | Crawley |
|---|---|
| County | West Sussex |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | RH11 |
| OS grid square | TQ23 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Horley (4 mi), Horsham (7 mi), East Grinstead (8 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 Crawley
- Villages with evidence of local housing need
- 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.
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.
Four routes to a sale
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
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.
Solicitors complete the sale
Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.
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
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 rough size, in acres or hectares
- Any planning applications or letters
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
Questions from landowners near Crawley
Do rural exception sites exist in Wales?
Yes. Welsh planning policy also supports rural exception sites for affordable housing that meets local need.
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 Crawley?
Yes. We consider land in and around Crawley and across West Sussex. Whether we can make an offer depends on the land itself, especially its access and planning prospects, and we'll tell you either way.
Also near Crawley
Other land in Crawley
- Development land
- Land with planning permission
- Land without planning permission
- Large strategic sites
- 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 Crawley
- Land for affordable homes in West Sussex
Find out what we'd pay for your land near Crawley
Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.