Council and Housing Partnerships in Berkshire
If you are a council or housing association looking for new homes in Berkshire, 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.
BerkshireTalk 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
Homes we plan around Berkshire
We cover 11 places across Berkshire: Reading is the main one, alongside Lower Earley, Sandhurst and Slough. Neighbouring areas we also cover include Surrey, Buckinghamshire and Hampshire.
When you register for Berkshire, you can choose two- and three-bedroom family homes, homes for affordable rent or homes for private rent. Because Berkshire is in England, land titles are registered with HM Land Registry and transfers attract Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).
Register for Berkshire and we will contact you if we bring homes forward nearby.
What you get in Berkshire
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.
Clear agreements
Every partnership is set out in a written agreement covering the programme, specification, payment stages and handover.
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.
Design and build
We design and build homes on land owned by a council or provider, to its specification and within its procurement rules.
Planning and land rules in Berkshire
Councils and housing associations around Berkshire can bid for grant through Homes England's Social and Affordable Homes Programme, which funds Social Rent, Affordable Rent at up to 80% of market rent, and shared ownership. Landlords of the rented homes must be registered with the Regulator of Social Housing. National policy also expects local plans to set a minimum Social Rent proportion for major development. Land to Homes is ready to discuss sites, partnership and delivery.
In England, registered providers, including housing associations and for-profit providers, are regulated by the Regulator of Social Housing. Affordable homes are usually secured through Section 106 agreements, and grant is channelled through Homes England, or the Greater London Authority in London. Councils follow procurement rules and their legal duties on value when disposing of land or appointing partners.
| 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 Council and Housing Partnerships in Berkshire
Do you talk to for-profit registered providers?
Yes. In England, both not-for-profit housing associations and for-profit registered providers can own affordable homes, and both are regulated by the Regulator of Social Housing. We discuss affordable homes with any appropriately registered provider, subject to the council's requirements on who can take on the homes.
What are Section 106 affordable homes?
They are affordable homes a developer must provide under a Section 106 agreement attached to a planning permission in England or Wales. The agreement sets the number, tenure and often the transfer terms, and the homes are usually sold to a registered provider. Scotland uses Section 75 agreements and Northern Ireland uses Section 76 agreements for similar purposes.
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 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.
Are there new homes available in Berkshire now?
Not yet. Land to Homes has no homes available in Berkshire at the moment. You can register your interest for Berkshire, and we will contact you if we bring homes forward there or nearby.
Read more: Council and Housing Association Partnerships · Guide: How affordable and social homes are delivered across the UK