Using land for homebuilding and regeneration
Guidance on identifying, acquiring and disposing of land, determining site feasibility, due diligence, and managing risks associated with brownfield sites.
Homes England is responsible for increasing the supply of public land to developers and speeding up the rate it can be built on. By releasing more land, we’re making possible the construction of new homes England needs, helping to improve neighbourhoods and grow communities.
Homes England is not responsible for and does not endorse the information provided by any third parties we’ve referenced on this page. We are not promoting one organisation above another. Please see the disclaimer in the GOV.UK terms and conditions. The contents of any Homes England videos we’ve included were applicable at the time of recording; they do not constitute legal advice and are provided for informational purposes only.
Identifying land for development
Guidance on the strategic identification and assessment of land to produce a pipeline for development.
The Homes England Land Hub identifies land we’re selling in the next 6 months.
Watch this Homes England video about identifying housing and unlocking development in rural settings.
Due diligence
Guidance on due diligence processes including those related to land condition, land ownership, location and suitability, and dealing with constraints (such as legal, planning, technical and environmental).
The Planning Portal is a joint venture between Homes England and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). It provides information on identifying and dealing with planning constraints.
The Planning Advisory Service (PAS) held a webinar on a new form of environmental assessment known as Environmental Outcome Reports (EOR).
The Social Housing Retrofit Accelerator (SHRA) provides guidance for housing providers on planning related to retrofit.
The Survey Association (TSA) provides guidance on various areas of surveying.
The Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environment Management (CIEEM) have provided two guidance documents supporting for ecological surveys:
Land acquisition
Guidance for acquiring bodies on Homes England’s approach to selling land, and site assembly using compulsory purchase powers. This includes the use of land referencing and appropriation.
Land referencing is research on, and analysis and presentation of, all interests in land impacted by schemes using powers of compulsory purchase. As an acquiring authority, it is good practice to conduct land referencing and consult with all parties when making an application.
Watch this Homes England video outlining the essentials of compulsory purchase orders (CPOs).
Watch this Homes England video outlining Local Authorities’ land assembly and Compulsory Purchase Orders Powers.
The Society of Land Referencers provide detailed guidance on land referencing.
The Greater London Authority (GLA) has published guidance on the legal framework that governs land appropriations between a council’s general fund and it housing revenue account (HRA), with the aim of appropriating general fund land to HRAs for affordable housing.
Eversheds Sutherland has a briefing note outlining appropriation of land by local authorities.
The Compulsory Purchase Association (CPA) have a series of practice documents to support local authorities with compulsory purchases.
De-risking and remediating brownfield land for housing-led projects
Guidance on the delivery of housing-led projects on brownfield land, including how to assess, investigate and manage the risks.
The Planning Advisory Service (PAS) have turned their research on how local planning authorities (LPAs) can promote the delivery of brownfield land development into a set of useful case studies.
The Planning Portal have provided guidance and information on land contamination, as well as further links on how to deal with contaminated land.
Watch this video from Homes England introducing the subject of brownfield sites used in housing development.
Site feasibility
Guidance on what a feasibility study is, its purpose, when should one be carried out and what it should include.
A feasibility study will help determine what options are achievable for a particular site and whether it is practicable to proceed.
Partnership working
Guidance and case studies on delivery partnerships, including Homes England’s approach to strategic partnerships.
Urbanist Architecture has written a comprehensive article on joint ventures, outlining how to identify a partner and set up a joint venture housing company.
Watch this Homes England video introducing delivery partnerships.
Last updated 23 November 2023 + show all updates
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New link Homes England video outlining Local Authorities' land assembly and Compulsory Purchase Orders Powers. Removal of document about disposals of land assets due to out of date content.
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Links to the Planning Portal on land contamination have been added to the 'De-risking and remediating brownfield land for housing-led projects' group. Links to guidance from CIEEM on ecological surveys and appraisals have been added to the 'Due diligence' group.
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Land Compensation Manual added to the Land Acquisition section; a link to Compulsory Purchase Association (CPA) practice documents added; resources from Designing Buildings removed.
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First published.