New Home Construction in County Down
Land to Homes is part of the S&K Group, a construction and property group, so building homes in County Down is part of how we plan land from the start. We design schemes that can be built economically, manage the build with contractors and suppliers, and deliver homes for sale, for rent and for councils and housing associations.
County DownFree site appraisal
Tell us about your land and we will call you back. No cost, no obligation.
Prefer to talk? Call 0800 088 6248.
- 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
Our work around County Down
Across County Down, we cover Bangor (County Down) and 5 other towns, among them Newtownards, Banbridge and Downpatrick. Next door, we also cover County Antrim, County Armagh and County Tyrone.
Near County Down, we look at schemes that need redesigning to work, land with an expired or ageing consent and plots where access or drainage is the sticking point. Because County Down 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 have a site near County Down that is stuck, a short call is the best place to start.
How we work in County Down
Mixed tenures on one site
Homes for sale, homes for rent and affordable homes can be built together, designed so that the tenures are hard to tell apart from the street.
Energy-efficient homes
Homes are designed to meet current energy standards in each nation, which increasingly means low-carbon heating, high insulation and good airtightness.
From land to keys
The people who buy or promote the land also plan the build, so the scheme that wins planning is one that can be delivered on site.
Respect for neighbours
Site traffic, working hours, noise and dust are managed under a construction management plan where the council requires one, and neighbours know who to contact.
How the rules work in County Down
Countryside planning policy in Northern Ireland is generally restrictive, so land inside or next to the settlement development limits around County Down is usually the strongest prospect for new homes. Outline planning permission can establish the principle, with reserved matters approved later. A promotion agreement lets us fund that planning work, with our costs recovered from the sale proceeds only if the land sells with planning. Your reasonable legal fees are covered too, agreed in the heads of terms.
In Northern Ireland, the Building Regulations are made by the Department of Finance and enforced by council building control. New roads are usually built to Department for Infrastructure standards for adoption, and sewers to NI Water's requirements. Planning conditions set by the council or the Department for Infrastructure must be discharged before the relevant work starts.
| 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) |
New Home Construction in County Down: questions
What are pre-commencement conditions?
They are planning conditions that must be satisfied before any work starts on site, such as approving drainage details, materials or a construction management plan. Starting work without discharging them can put the permission at risk. We deal with them before work begins, together with any planning obligations that apply to the site.
Do new homes have to be energy efficient?
Yes. Each nation's building regulations or building standards set energy efficiency requirements for new homes, and these have been tightened over recent years. In Scotland, new homes generally need zero direct emissions heating, such as heat pumps. England and Wales are moving to higher standards through updates to their own regulations.
What happens to the roads and sewers on a new development?
On many developments the new roads are built to the highway authority's standards and then adopted, so the council maintains them. Sewers can similarly be adopted by the water company. Where roads or open spaces are not adopted, they are usually looked after by a management company funded by residents, and buyers should check this before reserving.
What is a new-build warranty?
A new-build warranty is an insurance-backed policy that covers certain defects in a newly built home for a set period after completion. In the early part of the cover the builder is usually responsible for putting defects right, with the warranty provider covering major structural problems later on. Most mortgage lenders require a recognised warranty or a professional consultant's certificate.
Can you manage a site in County Down from planning to build?
On land we take forward ourselves across County Down, including Downpatrick, Banbridge and Newtownards, we manage planning, design and construction. Tell us about the site and we will explain how we would approach it.
Read more: New Home Construction · Guide: Buying a new-build home: what to expect from reservation to keys