Council and Housing Partnerships in Lancashire
If you are a council or housing association looking for new homes in Lancashire, 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.
LancashireTalk 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 Lancashire
We cover 18 places across Lancashire: Preston is the main one, alongside Darwen, Chorley and Blackpool. If your land is near a boundary, we also cover Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire.
People registering interest around Lancashire can tell us whether they want homes for shared ownership, one- and two-bedroom apartments or homes for affordable rent. Because Lancashire is in England, land titles are registered with HM Land Registry and transfers attract Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).
Register for Lancashire and we will contact you if we bring homes forward nearby.
What you get in Lancashire
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.
Design and build
We design and build homes on land owned by a council or provider, to its specification and within its procurement rules.
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.
Council land disposals
We respond to council land disposals and development opportunities where the terms suit, following the process the council sets.
Planning in Lancashire: the English rules
Councils and housing associations around Lancashire 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 Lancashire
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.
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.
Are there new homes available in Lancashire now?
Not yet. Land to Homes has no homes available in Lancashire at the moment. You can register your interest for Lancashire, 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