Joint venture for land in Devon
You contribute the land, we fund and manage planning and delivery, and the proceeds are shared as agreed.
A landowner joint venture is a partnership where the owner contributes land and we fund and manage planning and delivery, with the proceeds shared on an agreed basis after agreed costs are recovered. It can unlock more value than a sale but involves more risk, longer timescales and closer involvement.
Joint venture for land in Devon
Joint venture is one of four ways we buy land in Devon. Devon has no Green Belt, but Dartmoor and part of Exmoor National Parks and the East Devon, North Devon, South Devon, Blackdown Hills and Tamar Valley National Landscapes cover a large share of the county. Growth focuses on Exeter, Plymouth, Torbay and the market towns, with many villages beyond. Edge-of-town greenfield land, farm buildings and smaller infill plots are the usual sources of new housing sites.
The A30, A38 and M5 corridors and the main line from Exeter to Plymouth carry most of Devon's planned growth, including new communities east of Exeter. In coastal towns, flood risk and coastal change can affect sites, while nutrient neutrality advice has applied in the River Axe catchment on the Dorset border.
Since 6 August 2026, non-major development on sites of 0.2 hectares or less in England has generally been exempt from mandatory biodiversity net gain, unless priority habitat is affected. That makes many small sites simpler to bring forward.
In England, a planning permission normally has to be implemented within three years unless the council sets a different period, and councils aim to decide minor applications within eight weeks and major ones within thirteen.
Devon has no designated Green Belt, so the main policy questions near Exeter are usually the settlement boundary, landscape and access.
Parts of Devon fall within Dartmoor National Park, Exmoor National Park, East Devon National Landscape, North Devon National Landscape, South Devon National Landscape, Blackdown Hills National Landscape and Tamar Valley National Landscape. Protected landscapes carry strong policy protection, so land in or next to them needs particularly careful assessment.
In short: you contribute the land, we fund and manage planning and delivery, and the proceeds are shared as agreed. It usually suits owners of larger or well-located sites; landowners who want a long-term interest; sites where a sale would undervalue the long-term potential. See how a joint venture works for the full process, pros and cons.
Land in Devon that often suits a joint venture
WantedBrownfield land
In Exeter, the brownfield sites we look at are often tucked behind main roads or alongside older housing, close to services. Can work where the owner wants to share in a redevelopment.
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WantedInfill plots
Around Exeter, infill plots are often side gardens or gaps left between older houses; the street's character usually sets the design. Possible if you would like a share of the sale of the new home.
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WantedSmall sites
In Exeter, small sites are often the leftover pieces: a side garden, an old garage block or a gap where a building once stood. Possible if you want a share of the finished homes.
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WantedCommercial and industrial sites
Older business land around Exeter, especially units now surrounded by housing, is the kind of commercial site we would like to discuss. Can suit owners who want to share in a redevelopment.
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WantedBarns and rural buildings
In the countryside around Exeter, redundant barns and yards can sometimes become homes, depending on the building and the route available. Possible for larger farmyards.
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WantedGarage courts and yards
Across Exeter, lock-up blocks that are half empty can be a better use of land as homes, with parking handled sensibly. Possible for groups of courts.
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WantedSites with lapsed or refused planning
If a scheme near Exeter was refused or ran out of time, the officer's report usually shows what a better application would need. Possible where owners want to share the upside of a better scheme.
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WantedAllocated and promoted land
Around Exeter, allocated sites and land put forward to the council are usually the furthest along, so they can often move faster than land at an earlier stage. For owners of larger allocations who want to share in delivery.
Learn moreTowns we cover in Devon
Joint venture: questions
Do I need to put money in?
Not usually. In most landowner joint ventures the land is the owner's contribution and we fund the costs, which are recovered from the proceeds before profit is shared. Structures vary.
What if the venture does not get planning?
The agreement sets out what happens. In a simple contractual joint venture the land usually stays yours, but company or partnership structures, or a lender's charge, can change that, so take advice on the structure.
Is a joint venture right for me?
It suits owners comfortable with more risk and a longer timescale. We will say if a sale or option looks a better fit.
Do you use joint ventures for land in Devon?
Yes. We use joint ventures across Devon and the rest of England, where the structure suits the site and the owner.