Discount Market Sale (DMS) Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)

The Discount Market Sale Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) provides clarification on our affordable housing policies in relation to Discount Market Sale (DMS) homes. The document supports the current County Durham Plan which seeks to ensure that the affordable housing needs of the county are met.

DMS homes are properties which are sold at less than market value where a discount is applied on all future sales of the home. This document explains the process used to decide what discount is needed to make the property affordable but allow the price to be viable for the developer to be able to build and sell the home.

Previous consultation

We have consulted previously on policy related to DMS homes as part of the Housing Needs Supplementary Planning Document consultation. During the second phase of this consultation, between February and April 2024, the Housing Needs SPD introduced a section on DMS. In response to feedback from this consultation, information on DMS was developed into a standalone SPD to allow for greater detail, guidance and understanding.

This consultation now provides an opportunity to review the separate Discount Market Sale SPD document and provide your comments.

What the SPD includes

The Discount Market Sale SPD provides guidance on properties suitable for DMS by:

• providing an overview of the DMS role in meeting housing needs in County Durham as an affordable route to home ownership
• explaining eligibility for DMS properties, including the requirement for a local connection
• outlining the approach to assessing affordable prices for DMS properties using an average household profile to determine achievable mortgage levels
• describing how it will make provision for affordable housing while also making sure the housing site is viable and able to be developed
• setting out the steps that will be taken to determine the discount level, including developer requirements, standards for information and how discounts are maintained in the long term
• detailing the approach to distributing affordable homes on a housing site to make sure there is appropriate placement and a representative housing mix is achieved

The deadline for comments is Monday 13 April 2026.