Council and Housing Partnerships in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire
Land to Homes is open to partnerships with councils, housing associations and other registered providers in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire and across the UK, to add to the supply of affordable and social homes. We bring land, planning and construction; our partners bring local knowledge, housing management and, where available, public grant. The aim is a scheme that meets local need and the landlord's standards.
Aberdeen & AberdeenshireTalk to us about a partnership
Tell us about your organisation and the homes you need.
Prefer to talk? Call 0800 088 6248.
- Private conversationsEvery arrangement documented
- Land to homesLand, planning and construction
- Housing partnersCouncils and housing associations
- No public offerNothing here is an offer to invest
- UK-wideEngland, Wales, Scotland and NI
New homes around Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire
Across Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire, we cover Aberdeen and 4 other towns, among them Fraserburgh, Stonehaven and Peterhead. Neighbouring areas we also cover include Moray, Angus & Dundee and Perth & Kinross.
Registrations for Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire cover homes for private rent, accessible and adaptable homes and homes for shared ownership. As Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire is in Scotland, applications are judged against National Planning Framework 4, and the buyer of land pays Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT).
Registering for Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire is free and you can ask us to remove your details at any time.
Why work with Land to Homes in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire
Council land disposals
We respond to council land disposals and development opportunities where the terms suit, following the process the council sets.
Planning obligation homes
The affordable homes required by a Section 106, Section 75 or Section 76 agreement, designed with a provider and transferred on completion.
Standards agreed up front
Provider design standards, space standards and energy targets are agreed at the start, so the homes are ready to transfer on completion.
Land-led schemes
We bring forward land for a scheme the provider will own, which can be fully affordable where planning policy and funding allow.
The Scottish system, as it applies in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire
For councils and housing associations planning homes in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire, Scottish delivery centres on the council's Strategic Housing Investment Plan, grant from the Affordable Housing Supply Programme and, on private sites, affordable housing secured through Section 75 agreements under NPF4 and the Local Development Plan. Land to Homes can bring forward land with or without planning, or build homes for transfer to a registered social landlord.
In Scotland, councils and registered social landlords regulated by the Scottish Housing Regulator deliver affordable homes through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, prioritised in each council's Strategic Housing Investment Plan. Developer contributions are secured through Section 75 agreements, and package deals for social and mid-market rent homes are one established route.
| National planning policy | National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), which forms part of the statutory development plan |
|---|---|
| Local planning document | Local Development Plan (LDP) |
| Who decides applications | The council as planning authority (or a national park authority in its area) |
| In-principle consent | Planning permission in principle (PPP), followed by approval of matters specified in conditions |
| Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer) | Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) |
| Land registration | Registers of Scotland (Land Register of Scotland) |
| How a sale becomes binding | Land sales are concluded through missives, formal letters exchanged between solicitors that become a binding contract once concluded, followed by settlement on the date of entry and registration in the Land Register of Scotland. |
| Developer contributions | Section 75 planning obligations, with Section 69 agreements sometimes used for simple one-off payments |
Council and Housing Partnerships in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire: questions
Can you build on land a council or housing association already owns?
Yes. Under a design and build arrangement, we design and construct homes on land the council or provider owns, to its specification and standards. Contracts follow the client's procurement rules, which may mean a framework, a tender or another compliant route. We discuss the approach early so the scheme fits the client's governance.
What is a land-led scheme?
A land-led scheme is one where land is secured and a scheme is planned around a provider's needs, rather than the provider buying a share of homes within a market-led development. It can allow a higher proportion of affordable homes, or a fully affordable scheme, where planning policy and funding support it.
How do council land disposals work?
When a council sells or leases land for housing, it usually has legal duties around obtaining value and must follow its own disposal and procurement rules. Disposals may be marketed openly, offered through a development partner process or tendered. Land to Homes responds to opportunities where the terms suit, following the process the council sets.
Who applies for grant funding for affordable homes?
Usually the housing association or council, because public grant for affordable housing is normally paid to them under programmes run by Homes England, the Greater London Authority, the Welsh Government, the Scottish Government or, in Northern Ireland, the Housing Executive's Social Housing Development Programme. We plan schemes with the relevant funding conditions in mind.
Can I register for new homes in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire?
Yes. Registering for Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire is free and does not commit you to anything. There are no homes available yet; if we bring homes forward in or near Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire, we will contact you.
Read more: Council and Housing Association Partnerships · Guide: How affordable and social homes are delivered across the UK