Council and Housing Partnerships in Antrim
Land to Homes is open to partnerships with councils, housing associations and other registered providers in Antrim 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.
Antrim · BT41Talk 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
Registering for homes in Antrim
About 14 miles north-west of Belfast, Antrim is part of our County Antrim coverage, centred on postcode district BT41. Nearby, we also cover Ballymena, Newtownabbey and Belfast, all within 14 miles.
Registrations for Antrim cover one- and two-bedroom apartments, larger family homes and homes for shared ownership. In Northern Ireland, where Antrim sits, planning decisions are made by the 11 district councils, with the Department for Infrastructure deciding regionally significant applications.
Registering for Antrim is free and you can ask us to remove your details at any time.
How we work in Antrim
Package deals
We sell completed affordable homes on a site we control to a registered provider, with the mix, design and price agreed before construction starts.
Council land disposals
We respond to council land disposals and development opportunities where the terms suit, following the process the council sets.
Clear agreements
Every partnership is set out in a written agreement covering the programme, specification, payment stages and handover.
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.
The Northern Irish system, as it applies in Antrim
Social homes in Antrim are built mainly by registered housing associations through the Social Housing Development Programme. The Department for Communities funds the programme and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive manages it, assessing need and drawing up a rolling three-year plan. Housing associations are regulated by the Department for Communities. Land to Homes can bring forward land and build homes for housing association partners.
In Northern Ireland, housing associations regulated by the Department for Communities deliver most new social homes through the Social Housing Development Programme, managed by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. Developer-led schemes can include homes sold to associations, and Section 76 planning agreements can secure affordable housing where the local development plan requires it.
| 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 |
| 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. |
| Developer contributions | Section 76 planning agreements under the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 (there is no Community Infrastructure Levy) |
Questions about Council and Housing Partnerships in Antrim
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.
What is a package deal for affordable housing?
A package deal is where a developer sells completed affordable homes on a site it controls to a housing association or other registered provider. The mix, design, specification and price are agreed before the homes are built, and the provider takes ownership on completion. Package deals are often how affordable homes required by a planning permission are delivered.
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.
Are there new homes available in Antrim now?
Not yet. Land to Homes has no homes available in Antrim at the moment. You can register your interest for Antrim, 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