New Home Construction in Cookstown
New home construction in Cookstown is the stage where a consented scheme becomes real homes: site set-up, groundworks, roads and drainage, building the homes and handing them over. Land to Homes manages construction on the sites it brings forward, working with contractors and suppliers, and plans each scheme around homes that can be built well and then sold or let.
Cookstown · BT80Free site appraisal
Tell us about your land and we will call you back. No cost, no obligation.
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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
Our work around Cookstown
We cover Cookstown as part of County Tyrone. It is about 22 miles east of Omagh, around postcode district BT80. Nearby, we also cover Magherafelt, Dungannon and Portadown, all within 20 miles.
Projects we can take on around Cookstown include plots where access or drainage is the sticking point, land with an expired or ageing consent and schemes that need redesigning to work. In Northern Ireland, where Cookstown sits, planning decisions are made by the 11 district councils, with the Department for Infrastructure deciding regionally significant applications.
Tell us about the site near Cookstown and we will explain how we would take it forward.
How we work in Cookstown
Built to the right regulations
Each home is built to the building regulations or building standards of its nation, with inspections at key stages of the build.
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.
Groundworks and infrastructure
Roads, sewers, drainage and services are planned and built to the standards needed for adoption by the highway authority and water company where that applies.
Conditions cleared first
Pre-commencement conditions, legal agreements and utility connections are dealt with before work begins, so the build starts on a sound footing.
Planning in Cookstown: the Northern Irish rules
Permission in Principle, an English route, does not apply in Northern Ireland. Instead, landowners near Cookstown usually seek outline or full planning permission from the council. Developer contributions are agreed under Section 76 of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, and there is no Community Infrastructure Levy. Land to Homes can take on that process through an option or promotion agreement, or buy a suitable site directly, subject to survey, title and contract.
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.
| In-principle consent | Outline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later |
|---|---|
| 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) |
Common questions in Cookstown
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.
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 are building regulations?
Building regulations set minimum standards for the design and construction of buildings, including structure, fire safety, energy efficiency, drainage and accessibility. England, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own regulations, approved through building control. Scotland has building standards, and work needs a building warrant from the council before it starts and a completion certificate at the end.
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.
Do you take on planning and building work in Cookstown?
Yes, on sites we buy, option, promote or develop in partnership in Cookstown and elsewhere in County Tyrone, including Omagh, Strabane and Dungannon. We do not take on planning or building work for third parties as a consultancy.
Read more: New Home Construction · Guide: Buying a new-build home: what to expect from reservation to keys