Build to Rent Partnerships in Cumbria

Partnerships around Cumbria

Across Cumbria, we cover Carlisle and 5 other towns, among them Penrith, Kendal and Barrow-in-Furness. If your land is near a boundary, we also cover Lancashire, County Durham and Tyne and Wear.

Around Cumbria, we can talk to partners about design and build for a registered provider, mixed-tenure developments and Section 106 affordable homes. Planning in Cumbria follows England’s rules: the National Planning Policy Framework sets national policy and the council’s Local Plan sets local policy.

Tell us about the opportunity near Cumbria and the right person will call you back.

Our approach in Cumbria

Not an offer to invest

Nothing here is an offer or invitation to invest. Arrangements are agreed privately with professional partners, each taking its own advice.

Designed for renting

Layouts, storage, specifications and amenities are chosen for long-term letting and management, rather than adapted from homes designed for sale.

Houses or apartments

Single-family rental houses on suburban sites or apartments in towns, depending on the site, the planning context and the partner's requirements.

Nation-aware tenancies

Each nation has its own tenancy law, and schemes are planned with the rules that will apply to tenants and landlords in mind.

Planning in Cumbria: the English rules

Affordable homes in Cumbria are usually funded through a mix of Section 106 contributions from market schemes and grant from Homes England's Social and Affordable Homes Programme 2026 to 2036, or from the Greater London Authority in London. Registered providers, regulated by the Regulator of Social Housing, own and manage most of them. Land to Homes can bring forward land and build homes for councils and housing associations, including homes for Social Rent.

In England, the National Planning Policy Framework recognises build to rent as a distinct housing type, with affordable private rent as the usual affordable tenure. New private lets are assured periodic tenancies under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Appraisals must allow for Stamp Duty Land Tax, Section 106 obligations and, where charged, the Community Infrastructure Levy.

Key rules in Cumbria
National planning policy	National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), revised August 2026, with national planning practice guidance
Local planning document	Local Plan
Who decides applications	The local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority)
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	HM Land Registry
How a sale becomes binding	A land sale becomes legally binding on exchange of contracts and finishes on completion, after which the buyer registers the title with HM Land Registry.
Developer contributions	Section 106 planning obligations, plus the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) where the council charges it

Questions about Build to Rent Partnerships in Cumbria

Can registered providers take on build to rent homes?

Yes. Registered providers can acquire rental homes through forward purchase or package deals, including homes for social rent, affordable rent, mid-market rent or market rent, depending on the nation and their own objectives. We discuss schemes with providers and plan them around the provider's standards and funding conditions.

What is the difference between forward funding and forward purchase?

With forward funding, the partner buys the site and pays for construction in stages as the scheme is built. With forward purchase, the partner agrees to buy the finished homes on completion, while the developer arranges construction finance in the meantime. The structures share risk differently, so each party takes its own legal and tax advice.

Is this an investment opportunity?

No. Nothing on this site is an offer or invitation to invest, and we do not take money from members of the public. Build to rent partnerships are agreed privately with institutions, registered providers and other professional parties, each relying on its own advisers and due diligence. We do not publish projected profits or performance figures.

Do build to rent schemes have to include affordable housing?

Often, yes, depending on the nation and the council's policy. In England, national policy expects build to rent schemes to provide affordable housing, usually as affordable private rent. Elsewhere, requirements are set by the council's development plan. The detail is agreed at planning stage and recorded in a planning agreement.

Do you work with partners on schemes in Cumbria?

Yes. We discuss schemes across Cumbria, including Kendal, Barrow-in-Furness and Carlisle privately with professional partners. Nothing on this website is an offer or invitation to invest.