Council and Housing Partnerships in Dumfries & Galloway
If you are a council or housing association looking for new homes in Dumfries & Galloway, 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.
Dumfries & GallowayTalk 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 Dumfries & Galloway
We cover 3 places across Dumfries & Galloway: Dumfries is the main one, alongside Annan and Stranraer. Neighbouring areas we also cover include Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and Scottish Borders.
People registering interest around Dumfries & Galloway can tell us whether they want homes for affordable rent, one- and two-bedroom apartments or accessible and adaptable homes. As Dumfries & Galloway is in Scotland, applications are judged against National Planning Framework 4, and the buyer of land pays Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT).
Register for Dumfries & Galloway and we will contact you if we bring homes forward nearby.
Why work with Land to Homes in Dumfries & Galloway
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.
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.
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.
How the rules work in Dumfries & Galloway
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 Dumfries & Galloway 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 |
Your questions answered for Dumfries & Galloway
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.
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.
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.
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.
Can I register for new homes in Dumfries & Galloway?
Yes. Registering for Dumfries & Galloway is free and does not commit you to anything. There are no homes available yet; if we bring homes forward in or near Dumfries & Galloway, we will contact you.
Read more: Council and Housing Association Partnerships · Guide: How affordable and social homes are delivered across the UK