Sell Land Without Planning in County Antrim

Land we look at around County Antrim

We cover 7 places across County Antrim: Belfast is the main one, alongside Lisburn, Antrim and Larne. If your land is near a boundary, we also cover County Down, County Armagh and County Londonderry.

In and around County Antrim, the land we appraise ranges from redundant commercial buildings to backland plots with a workable access, including land behind street frontages. Because County Antrim 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).

A postcode and a rough boundary are enough for us to start a free appraisal of land near County Antrim.

What you get in County Antrim

Local plan timing

Councils review their development plans periodically and invite landowners to put sites forward. We check where your council is in that cycle, because it can matter more than any single application.

Conditional contracts

Contracts are signed now, but the sale only completes if a satisfactory planning permission is granted by a longstop date. The price is usually fixed, or set by an agreed formula, when the contract is signed.

Planning funded on promotion

Nothing to pay upfront: on a promotion agreement we fund the planning work, and those costs are recovered from the sale proceeds only if the land sells with planning. The detail is set out in the heads of terms.

Buying land as it stands

Where we can see a planning route we are prepared to back, we can buy your land as it stands, with no onward chain, subject to survey, title and contract.

The Northern Irish system, as it applies in County Antrim

Selling land near County Antrim follows a familiar pattern in Northern Ireland: heads of terms, then an exchange of contracts signed by both sides, which makes the sale binding, and completion. The buyer pays Stamp Duty Land Tax, as in England, and the title is registered with Land Registry, part of Land & Property Services, although older titles may first need moving from the Registry of Deeds. Infrastructure and affordable housing are usually secured through a Section 76 planning agreement.

In Northern Ireland, councils are replacing older area plans with new local development plans made up of a plan strategy and then a local policies plan that zones land. Until zoning is settled, development limits and countryside policy in the SPPS and PPS 21, or a council's own adopted policies, make land outside settlements difficult.

Key rules in County Antrim
National planning policy	Strategic Planning Policy Statement (SPPS, Edition 2), applied with retained Planning Policy Statements until each council adopts its Plan Strategy
Local planning document	Local Development Plan (LDP), made up of a Plan Strategy and a Local Policies Plan
Who decides applications	The 11 district councils, with the Department for Infrastructure deciding regionally significant applications
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	Land & Property Services (Land Registry and Registry of Deeds)
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)

Your questions answered for County Antrim

Can I keep using the land while planning is pursued?

Usually, yes. Under options and promotion agreements you normally keep ownership and can carry on using the land, for example for grazing or farming, until it is sold. The agreement sets out access for surveys and any restrictions, such as on granting new long-term tenancies.

What is a call for sites?

When a council prepares or reviews its development plan, it usually invites landowners and developers to put land forward for consideration. Submitting your site does not mean it will be allocated, but it puts the land in front of the council's planning team. In Wales this is usually called the candidate site process.

Should I apply for planning permission myself before selling?

You can, but an application costs money in surveys, reports and fees, and a refusal can make the land harder to sell. A scheme designed by someone who does not intend to build may also not suit housebuilders. Many landowners prefer a partner who carries the cost and risk of planning instead.

What if my land has been refused planning before?

A previous refusal is useful evidence, not necessarily the end of the story. Policy changes, new local plans and a different scheme can lead to a different outcome. We read the refusal reasons and any appeal decision before giving a view on whether a fresh approach is realistic and worth the cost.

Do you buy land in County Antrim?

Yes. Land to Homes looks at land across County Antrim, including Antrim, Carrickfergus and Belfast. Every enquiry starts with a free site appraisal, and on option and promotion agreements we pay your reasonable legal fees.