Land and new homes in Downpatrick
In Downpatrick, Land to Homes works with landowners who want to sell, option or promote land for housing, and with councils and housing associations on affordable homes. We manage planning and building on the sites we take forward, and people looking for a home can register their interest.
Downpatrick · BT30Free 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
Where Downpatrick fits
Downpatrick (BT30) is one of the County Down towns we cover, about 23 miles south of Bangor (County Down). If your land sits between towns, Castlereagh, Newtownards and Lisburn are the closest neighbouring places on our list.
Around Downpatrick we look at brownfield land in and around Downpatrick, land behind street frontages and fields put forward or allocated in the local plan. As Downpatrick is in Northern Ireland, applications are judged against the Strategic Planning Policy Statement, and the buyer of land pays Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).
Send us a postcode in or near BT30 and we will start with a free desktop appraisal.
Services in Downpatrick
For landowners
- Sell Land for Development in Downpatrick
- Sell Land with Planning Permission in Downpatrick
- Sell Land Without Planning in Downpatrick
- Land Option Agreements in Downpatrick
- Land Promotion Agreements in Downpatrick
- Landowner Joint Ventures in Downpatrick
- Sell Garden Land and Backland in Downpatrick
- Sell Farmland and Paddocks in Downpatrick
- Sell Brownfield Land in Downpatrick
- Sell an Infill Plot in Downpatrick
- Land Assembly and Access in Downpatrick
- Free Site Appraisal in Downpatrick
- Sell a Building for Conversion in Downpatrick
Planning, design and build
- Planning Permission and Strategy in Downpatrick
- Architecture and Masterplanning in Downpatrick
- New Home Construction in Downpatrick
- Serviced Plots for Self-Build in Downpatrick
New homes and housing
- New-Build Homes for Sale in Downpatrick
- New Homes to Rent in Downpatrick
- Affordable Housing in Downpatrick
- Social Housing in Downpatrick
- Council and Housing Partnerships in Downpatrick
Funders and partners
The Northern Irish system, as it applies in Downpatrick
Selling land near Downpatrick follows a familiar pattern in Northern Ireland: heads of terms, then an exchange of contracts signed by both sides, which makes the sale binding, and completion. The buyer pays Stamp Duty Land Tax, as in England, and the title is registered with Land Registry, part of Land & Property Services, although older titles may first need moving from the Registry of Deeds. Infrastructure and affordable housing are usually secured through a Section 76 planning agreement.
In Northern Ireland, housing associations find sites and develop schemes under the Social Housing Development Programme, while the Housing Executive assesses housing need in areas such as Downpatrick. Councils' Local Development Plans can also require affordable homes on private developments, secured through a Section 76 planning agreement. Land to Homes can supply land, design and construction, or deliver completed homes for transfer to a registered housing association.
| Local planning document | Local Development Plan (LDP), made up of a Plan Strategy and a Local Policies Plan |
|---|---|
| In-principle consent | Outline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later |
| Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer) | Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) |
| Land registration | Land & Property Services (Land Registry and Registry of Deeds) |
| How a sale becomes binding | A land sale becomes legally binding when contracts signed by both parties are exchanged and finishes on completion, with the title registered in the Land Registry at Land & Property Services. |
Questions about Land and homes in Downpatrick
Can you guarantee my land will get planning permission?
No one can guarantee planning permission. Decisions rest with the planning authority or, on appeal, an independent appeal body. What we can do is assess the prospects honestly, prepare a thorough application and deal with likely objections early. If we think a site is unlikely to succeed, we will tell you before anyone spends time or money on it.
How do I register interest in a new home?
Tell us your contact details, preferred areas, the type and size of home, whether you want to buy or rent, and your timing. Registering is free, it is not a reservation or an application, and you can ask us to remove your details at any time. We use it to contact you and to understand what people need.
Who pays for the planning application?
Usually the applicant pays the council fee and the cost of surveys and reports. Under a promotion agreement with Land to Homes, we fund the planning work, and the costs are only recovered from the sale proceeds if the land sells with planning. On a direct purchase without planning, the planning cost and risk become ours.
Can I sell land without planning permission?
Yes. Land often sells without planning, either for a price that reflects the planning risk or under a deal where the price is set once permission is granted. Land to Homes can buy suitable sites directly, with or without planning and with no onward chain, subject to survey, title and contract, or promote the land through planning with you.
Do you buy land in Downpatrick?
Yes. Land to Homes looks at land in Downpatrick and elsewhere in County Down, including Castlereagh, Banbridge and Newry. Every enquiry starts with a free site appraisal, and on option and promotion agreements we pay your reasonable legal fees.