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For landowners · County Down

Landowner Joint Ventures in Newtownards

Can I enter a joint venture on land in Newtownards?

A landowner joint venture in Newtownards is a deal where you contribute the land and Land to Homes brings planning, design, construction and project management. Instead of a one-off price, you share in the outcome once the homes are sold or let, under terms agreed in writing before work begins. It carries more risk than a straight sale.

Misty paddock at sunrise on the edge of a market town with a church spireNewtownards · BT23

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  • Free site appraisalNo cost, no obligation
  • Legal fees coveredReasonable fees, on options and promotion
  • Nothing to pay upfrontOn promotion: we fund planning
  • Direct purchaseSuitable sites, with or without planning
  • UK-wideEngland, Wales, Scotland and NI

Selling land around Newtownards

We cover Newtownards as part of County Down. It is about 5 miles south of Bangor (County Down), around postcode district BT23. If your land sits between towns, Bangor (County Down), Castlereagh and Belfast are the closest neighbouring places on our list.

Typical sites we review near Newtownards include brownfield land in and around Newtownards, infill gaps along existing streets and small holdings and pony paddocks. Because Newtownards is in Northern Ireland, land titles are registered with Land & Property Services (Land Registry and Registry of Deeds) and transfers attract Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).

If you own land near Newtownards, the first step is a free, no-obligation appraisal.

What we offer in Newtownards

Funding and lender security

Development lenders usually want a first charge over the land. If your land is charged, you need to understand what happens if the project runs into difficulty and what protection the agreement gives you.

Construction within the group

As part of the S&K Group, a construction and property group, Land to Homes plans schemes around homes it can build, keeping design, cost control and delivery closely connected.

Choice of structure

A joint venture can be purely contractual, a joint venture company or a limited liability partnership. Each handles control, liability, tax and exit differently, and your own advisers should help you choose.

Sale or rent agreed together

Homes can be built for sale, for rent, or as affordable housing with a council or housing association. The mix affects risk and when money comes back, so it is agreed before work starts.

How the rules work in Newtownards

Land to Homes works with landowners across Northern Ireland, including in and around Newtownards. We start with a free appraisal of planning policy, access and constraints, then set out a direct offer or option or promotion terms in writing. Each council's Local Development Plan is prepared in two stages, a Plan Strategy and a Local Policies Plan, so the stage your council has reached affects how a site is assessed. Planning permission is never guaranteed.

In Northern Ireland, joint ventures use similar structures, but planning is handled by the district council under the SPPS and its local development plan. Section 76 agreements can secure affordable housing, often delivered by housing associations through the social housing programme the Housing Executive manages. Stamp Duty Land Tax applies, and titles are registered with Land & Property Services.

Key rules in Newtownards
National planning policyStrategic Planning Policy Statement (SPPS, Edition 2), applied with retained Planning Policy Statements until each council adopts its Plan Strategy
Who decides applicationsThe 11 district councils, with the Department for Infrastructure deciding regionally significant applications
Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer)Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT)
Developer contributionsSection 76 planning agreements under the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 (there is no Community Infrastructure Levy)

Common questions in Newtownards

What happens if the joint venture does not get planning?

The agreement should say. Common approaches include ending the venture with each party bearing its own costs, or allowing a revised application within a set period. Make sure you know whether any planning costs could ever be charged to you, and in what circumstances, before you sign.

How is a property joint venture taxed?

It depends on the structure and your circumstances. Taking part in development can change how your proceeds are taxed, for example as income rather than a capital gain, and moving land into a company can trigger stamp duty or its equivalent in your nation. Speak to an accountant before agreeing any structure.

Can a joint venture include affordable or rental homes?

Yes. A scheme can combine homes for sale, homes for rent and affordable or social homes delivered with a council or housing association. The mix changes the cash flow and when money is paid out, so it should be agreed between the parties before the planning application is submitted.

Do I have to put money into a joint venture?

Not always. In many landowner joint ventures the land is the landowner's whole contribution, while the developer arranges the rest of the funding. Some structures ask both parties to contribute cash. The agreement should state clearly whether any further contribution could ever be required from you, and in what circumstances.

Do you work with landowners in Newtownards?

We do. We work with landowners in Newtownards and elsewhere in County Down, including Newry, Castlereagh and Bangor (County Down). Send us a postcode and we will start with a free, no-obligation appraisal of what the land could take.

Read more: Landowner Joint Ventures · Guide: Landowner joint ventures explained: sharing in the development

Landowner Joint Ventures elsewhere in County Down

Own land that could take new homes?

Start with a free, no-obligation site appraisal. On option and promotion agreements we fund the planning work and pay your reasonable legal fees.

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