Council and Housing Partnerships in Ayrshire
If you are a council or housing association looking for new homes in Ayrshire, there are several ways to work with Land to Homes. We can sell you completed homes on a site we control, bring forward land for a scheme you will own, build on your land under a design and build contract, or deliver the affordable homes a planning agreement requires.
AyrshireTalk to us about a partnership
Tell us about your organisation and the homes you need.
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New homes around Ayrshire
Our Ayrshire coverage takes in 3 towns and cities, centred on Kilmarnock and including Irvine and Ayr. Next door, we also cover Glasgow & the Clyde, Lanarkshire and Argyll & Bute.
When you register for Ayrshire, you can choose homes for affordable rent, homes for first-time buyers or homes for private rent. In Scotland, where Ayrshire sits, planning decisions are made by the council as planning authority (or a national park authority in its area).
Registering for Ayrshire is free and you can ask us to remove your details at any time.
How we work in Ayrshire
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.
Funding conditions in mind
We plan schemes around the conditions of the relevant funding programme, although grant is applied for and held by the council or provider.
Design and build
We design and build homes on land owned by a council or provider, to its specification and within its procurement rules.
Council land disposals
We respond to council land disposals and development opportunities where the terms suit, following the process the council sets.
How the rules work in Ayrshire
Scotland's Affordable Housing Supply Programme has a national target for new affordable homes, most of them for social rent. Councils and registered social landlords around Ayrshire deliver most of these, mainly as new build, with registered social landlords regulated by the Scottish Housing Regulator. Land to Homes can supply sites, design and construction to help partners deliver, whether on land we bring forward or land a partner already owns.
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 Ayrshire: questions
Can you help a community land trust or community-led group?
Potentially, yes. Community-led schemes often need land, planning and construction support, which is what we provide. The right structure depends on the group, the land and any funding available. We can discuss land options, a design and build arrangement or homes delivered within a wider scheme, with each party taking its own legal advice.
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.
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.
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.
Can I register for new homes in Ayrshire?
Yes. Registering for Ayrshire is free and does not commit you to anything. There are no homes available yet; if we bring homes forward in or near Ayrshire, we will contact you.
Read more: Council and Housing Association Partnerships · Guide: How affordable and social homes are delivered across the UK