Architecture and Masterplanning in Lisburn
Before land in Lisburn can go for planning, someone has to show how many homes fit and how they will look. We start with a capacity study, then develop a masterplan that respects neighbours, trees, levels and drainage. The design is tested for cost and buildability at every stage, so what gets approved is something that can actually be built.
Lisburn · BT27Free site appraisal
Tell us about your land and we will call you back. No cost, no obligation.
Prefer to talk? Call 0800 088 6248.
- Free site appraisalNo cost, no obligation
- Legal fees coveredReasonable fees, on options and promotion
- Nothing to pay upfrontOn promotion: we fund planning
- Direct purchaseSuitable sites, with or without planning
- UK-wideEngland, Wales, Scotland and NI
Sites we take on near Lisburn
Lisburn sits about 7 miles south-west of Belfast in County Antrim, in the BT27 postcode district. Close by, our coverage also takes in Belfast, Castlereagh and Newtownabbey.
Typical work around Lisburn: schemes that need redesigning to work, land with an expired or ageing consent and in-principle consents that still need detailed approval. As Lisburn is in Northern Ireland, applications are judged against the Strategic Planning Policy Statement, and the buyer of land pays Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).
Tell us about the site near Lisburn and we will explain how we would take it forward.
What you get in Lisburn
Funded on promotion
Where we promote your land, the design work is part of the planning work we fund, recovered from the sale proceeds only if the land sells with planning.
Capacity studies
We test several layouts to show what a site could realistically take, allowing for access, open space, drainage and the separation distances councils expect between homes.
Clear plans for landowners
We explain drawings in plain terms, so you can see how your land would be used, where the access runs and what land might be left over.
Design codes followed
Where a council has adopted a design code or design guide, we design to it and explain in the design statement how the scheme responds.
Planning in Lisburn: the Northern Irish rules
Countryside planning policy in Northern Ireland is generally restrictive, so land inside or next to the settlement development limits around Lisburn is usually the strongest prospect for new homes. Outline planning permission can establish the principle, with reserved matters approved later. A promotion agreement lets us fund that planning work, with our costs recovered from the sale proceeds only if the land sells with planning. Your reasonable legal fees are covered too, agreed in the heads of terms.
In Northern Ireland, design is assessed under the Strategic Planning Policy Statement and the council's local development plan, with Creating Places, the regional guide to residential layout, still widely used. Building regulations approval is handled by council building control, and new roads usually need to meet Department for Infrastructure standards for adoption.
| National planning policy | Strategic Planning Policy Statement (SPPS, Edition 2), applied with retained Planning Policy Statements until each council adopts its Plan Strategy |
|---|---|
| Local planning document | Local Development Plan (LDP), made up of a Plan Strategy and a Local Policies Plan |
| Who decides applications | The 11 district councils, with the Department for Infrastructure deciding regionally significant applications |
| Developer contributions | Section 76 planning agreements under the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 (there is no Community Infrastructure Levy) |
Your questions answered for Lisburn
Can a layout keep part of my land free from development?
Yes. A layout can be drawn to leave a paddock, a garden or a buffer next to your own home outside the development, and the boundary can be fixed in any agreement. We will explain how that choice affects the number of homes, the access and the value of the land being sold.
Do I need an architect for a planning application?
Not by law, but a well-designed scheme with clear drawings stands a much better chance. Larger schemes also need specialist input from landscape architects, highways engineers, drainage engineers and ecologists. Where Land to Homes promotes land, we appoint and fund the design team as part of the planning work, so the landowner does not need to.
How many homes could my land take?
It depends on the size and shape of the site, the access, the character of the area, the open space and drainage the scheme needs, and local planning policy on density. Sites of the same size can have very different capacities. A capacity study is the reliable way to answer the question, and our free site appraisal gives an indicative figure.
How do you make new homes fit in with existing streets?
We study the scale, materials, building lines and spaces of the surrounding area and design homes and streets that respond to them. On a village edge that might mean lower density and more landscaping; in a town, homes that follow the existing street pattern. Early talks with planning officers and neighbours help shape the design.
Can you manage a site in Lisburn from planning to build?
On land we take forward ourselves in Lisburn and elsewhere in County Antrim, including Larne, Newtownabbey and Antrim, we manage planning, design and construction. Tell us about the site and we will explain how we would approach it.
Read more: Architecture and Masterplanning · Guide: Planning permission explained for landowners