Planning Permission and Strategy in County Antrim
Land to Homes runs the planning process for residential sites in County Antrim, from a first look at policy to a decision notice. We build the consultant team, commission the surveys, talk to the council and the community, and prepare the application. Where we promote land, we fund the planning work, and those costs are recovered from the sale proceeds only if the land sells with planning.
County AntrimFree 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 Antrim
We cover 7 places across County Antrim: Belfast is the main one, alongside Newtownabbey, Antrim and Lisburn. Neighbouring areas we also cover include County Down, County Armagh and County Londonderry.
Projects we can take on around County Antrim include land where self-build plots could suit the market, fields that need a masterplan before an application and land with an expired or ageing consent. As County Antrim is in Northern Ireland, applications are judged against the Strategic Planning Policy Statement, and the buyer of land pays Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).
Tell us about the site near County Antrim and we will explain how we would take it forward.
How we work in County Antrim
Policy first
We start with the development plan, national policy and the planning history of the site, so the strategy rests on what the council will actually test the application against.
Your legal fees covered
On option and promotion agreements we pay your reasonable legal fees, with the amount agreed in the heads of terms before you instruct a solicitor.
Early engagement
We seek pre-application advice from the council where it is offered, and talk to neighbours and community groups before submitting, so concerns are dealt with early.
The right application route
Outline, full or another route the rules allow in that nation. We explain why we chose it and what each route means for timing, cost and risk.
Planning and land rules 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, the 11 district councils decide most applications under the Strategic Planning Policy Statement and their local development plans, while regionally significant applications go to the Department for Infrastructure. Major applications need pre-application community consultation, and planning agreements are made under Section 76. Countryside policy is restrictive, so settlement limits matter.
| 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 you guarantee planning permission?
No. Nobody can guarantee planning permission, because the decision rests with the planning authority or, on appeal, an independent appeal body. What we can do is choose sites with genuine prospects, prepare a thorough application and deal with likely objections before they arise. If we think a site is unlikely to succeed, we will tell you.
What is the difference between outline and full planning permission?
Outline permission establishes whether development is acceptable in principle, with some or all of the details, known as reserved matters, left for a later application. Full permission approves the detailed scheme in one go. Outline is often used to secure the principle on land before it is sold. In Scotland the equivalent of outline is planning permission in principle.
What is a Section 106 agreement?
A Section 106 agreement is a legal agreement between a council and a landowner or developer that makes a development acceptable in planning terms, for example by securing affordable homes or contributions to schools and roads. It applies in England and Wales. Scotland uses Section 75 agreements and Northern Ireland uses Section 76 planning agreements for similar purposes.
How do I find out if my land could get planning permission?
Start with the council's development plan, which shows where new homes are supported, and the planning history of the site and its surroundings. Access, flood risk, ecology and heritage also matter. Our free site appraisal reviews these factors and tells you plainly whether we think the land has prospects, and which route to planning would suit it.
Can you manage a site in County Antrim from planning to build?
On land we take forward ourselves across County Antrim, including Antrim, Larne and Belfast, we manage planning, design and construction. Tell us about the site and we will explain how we would approach it.
Read more: Planning Permission and Strategy · Guide: Who pays for land promotion? Fees, costs and legal fees explained