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For landowners · Somerset

Landowner Joint Ventures in Frome

Can I enter a joint venture on land in Frome?

A landowner joint venture in Frome 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.

Development surveyor walking a field boundary hedge with a tabletFrome · BA11

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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

Land and sites near Frome

About 10 miles south of Bath, Frome is part of our Somerset coverage, centred on postcode district BA11. Trowbridge is the closest neighbouring place we cover, at about 8 miles, followed by Bath and Kingswood. Frome is part of England’s South West region.

Typical sites we review near Frome include large and long rear gardens, redundant commercial buildings and brownfield land in and around Frome. Planning in Frome follows England’s rules: the National Planning Policy Framework sets national policy and the council’s Local Plan sets local policy.

Send us a postcode in or near BA11 and we will start with a free desktop appraisal.

What you get in Frome

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.

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.

Advice before commitment

Joint ventures carry real commercial risk. We always recommend independent legal, tax and valuation advice, and we will say plainly if a straight sale or an option looks like a better fit for you.

Decisions and deadlock

The agreement should say who decides on design, pricing, contractors and programme, which matters need both parties' consent, and how any disagreement is resolved without stalling the project.

How the rules work in Frome

Selling development land in Frome usually starts with heads of terms, a short written summary of price, conditions and fees, before solicitors draft the contract. In England the sale becomes binding on exchange of contracts and finishes on completion, with the title then registered at HM Land Registry. The buyer normally pays Stamp Duty Land Tax. On option and promotion agreements with Land to Homes, your reasonable legal fees are covered, with the amount agreed in the heads of terms.

In England, a joint venture scheme still has to meet the Local Plan, the NPPF and, where it applies, biodiversity net gain. Affordable housing is usually secured through a Section 106 agreement, which affects cash flow. If land is transferred into a joint venture company, Stamp Duty Land Tax can arise, and the transfer is registered at HM Land Registry.

Key rules in Frome
National planning policyNational Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), revised August 2026, with national planning practice guidance
Who decides applicationsThe local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority)
Land registrationHM Land Registry
How a sale becomes bindingA land sale becomes legally binding on exchange of contracts and finishes on completion, after which the buyer registers the title with HM Land Registry.

Your questions answered for Frome

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.

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.

What is a landowner joint venture?

It is an arrangement where a landowner and a developer pool what they have to deliver a development. The landowner usually contributes the land, and the developer contributes expertise, management and access to funding. Instead of a fixed price at the start, the landowner shares in the outcome once homes are sold or let, under agreed terms.

Is a joint venture riskier than selling my land?

Usually, yes. A sale gives you a known figure. In a joint venture, what you receive depends on build costs, sales values, funding and timing, all of which can change. If the market falls or costs rise, your share could be less than a straight sale would have achieved, which is why advice before committing matters.

Is Frome an area you cover for land?

Yes, we cover land in Frome and elsewhere in Somerset, including Yeovil, Bridgwater and Burnham-on-Sea. Where a site suits us we can buy it directly, or set up an option or promotion agreement. On promotion there is nothing to pay upfront.

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

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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