New Home Construction in Stornoway
Once a site in Stornoway has planning permission and the pre-commencement conditions are cleared, building can start. We organise the groundworks, utilities and roads first, then build the homes in phases, with building control inspections at key stages. Every home is built to the building regulations or building standards that apply in the nation where the site sits.
Stornoway · HS1Free 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
Planning and building around Stornoway
In Highlands & Islands, Stornoway lies about 94 miles north-west of Inverness; its central postcode district is HS1. Close by, our coverage also takes in Inverness, Thurso and Fort William.
Near Stornoway, we look at land where self-build plots could suit the market, sites that need a fresh planning strategy and schemes that need redesigning to work. In Scotland, where Stornoway sits, planning decisions are made by the council as planning authority (or a national park authority in its area).
Send us the site address near Stornoway and we will tell you what we think the planning route is.
Why work with Land to Homes in Stornoway
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.
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.
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.
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 Stornoway
Land sales in Scotland are concluded through missives, an exchange of formal letters between solicitors. Once missives are concluded they form a binding contract, and the buyer takes entry at settlement, then registers the title with Registers of Scotland. For land near Stornoway, missives can be made conditional on planning permission in principle, so the sale only proceeds if consent is secured. The buyer pays Land and Buildings Transaction Tax to Revenue Scotland.
In Scotland, construction needs a building warrant from the council before work starts and an accepted completion certificate before homes are occupied. Building standards are set by the Scottish Government, and the New Build Heat Standard generally rules out direct emissions heating such as gas boilers in new homes. New roads usually need roads construction consent from the council.
| Local planning document | Local Development Plan (LDP) |
|---|---|
| In-principle consent | Planning permission in principle (PPP), followed by approval of matters specified in conditions |
| Land registration | Registers of Scotland (Land Register of Scotland) |
| Developer contributions | Section 75 planning obligations, with Section 69 agreements sometimes used for simple one-off payments |
New Home Construction in Stornoway: questions
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 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.
Does Land to Homes build the homes itself?
Land to Homes manages planning, design and construction on the sites it brings forward, and is part of the S&K Group, a construction and property group. Construction is carried out with contractors and suppliers under our management. Because we plan land with building in mind, the schemes we take to planning are designed to be delivered.
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.
Can you manage a site in Stornoway from planning to build?
On land we take forward ourselves in Stornoway and elsewhere in Highlands & Islands, including Kirkwall, Thurso and Inverness, 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