Sell land with planning permission in Market Harborough
Selling land with planning permission near Market Harborough doesn't have to start with an agent and a marketing campaign. You can talk to a buyer first and still take independent advice before you decide.
Land with planning permission has consent from the local planning authority to build a specific development, either in outline (the principle) or in full (the detailed design). We buy consented sites directly, check the permission and its conditions, and make an offer you can accept without marketing the land.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- No pressure to decide
- Independent advice encouraged
Selling land near Market Harborough?
We'll check the title and planning, then call you.
Where Market Harborough sits
Land around Market Harborough falls under England's planning system. The closest towns we also cover are Desborough, 5 miles away, and Corby, 10 miles away, and Leicester is 14 miles away.
Largely lowland farmland and growing towns. Unlike many Midlands counties, Leicestershire has no designated green belt.
| Town | Market Harborough |
|---|---|
| County | Leicestershire |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | LE16 |
| OS grid square | SP78 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Desborough (5 mi), Corby (10 mi), Kettering (10 mi) |
| Distance from Leicester | About 14 miles south-east |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| Ways to sell | Outright, subject to planning, option or joint venture |
What we look for around Market Harborough
- Full or outline permission for one home or more
- Reserved matters approvals or discharge-of-conditions decisions already in place
- Sites with a signed Section 106 agreement we can read
- Lapsed or lapsing permissions, which we can look at renewing
A site with a live planning permission is the simplest land to sell. The main questions are whether the permission is still valid, what its conditions require and how much the Section 106 agreement costs to deliver.
What affects the price
Type of permission
Full permission carries less risk than outline, which still needs reserved matters approval.
Pre-commencement conditions
Conditions that must be discharged before building starts can add surveys, cost and delay.
Section 106 and CIL
Affordable housing and financial contributions come straight off what a buyer can pay.
Abnormal costs
Retaining walls, drainage works or contamination add cost beyond a normal build.
Ways to sell this land
Outright purchase
The usual route for consented land: agree a price, then exchange and complete.
Subject-to-planning sale
Useful if you want us to improve or renew the permission before completion.
Option agreements
Rarely needed once consent exists, but can suit phased sites.
Joint ventures
An option if you would like a share of the profit from building the homes.
What happens next
Send us the address
A postcode, a plan or a what3words location is enough to start.
We check it properly
Title, planning history, access, flood maps and local policy.
We put an offer in writing
It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.
Solicitors complete the sale
Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.
What England's rules mean for your land
Planning framework
Planning decisions in England follow the National Planning Policy Framework, revised in August 2026, and the local plan, prepared by the council or, in a national park, the park authority. Plans are reviewed periodically, which is when new housing sites are usually allocated.
Biodiversity net gain
Under the Environment Act 2021, most developments in England must deliver at least a 10% gain in biodiversity. Since 6 August 2026, sites of 0.2 hectares or less are exempt unless priority habitat is affected.
Section 106 and CIL
Larger schemes often need a Section 106 agreement for affordable housing or contributions, and councils that have adopted the Community Infrastructure Levy charge it per square metre of new floorspace.
Awkward details we deal with
The permission is about to expire
In England a full permission normally lasts three years and in Wales five. We check whether a lawful start has been made or whether a new application is the better route.
The Section 106 makes the scheme unviable
If costs have moved since consent, a viability review or a variation may be possible. We will tell you if we think that is realistic.
Useful to send us
- The address or postcode
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
Common questions
How long does planning permission last?
In England, full planning permission usually requires work to start within three years, and in Wales within five, unless the decision notice says otherwise. Outline permissions have separate time limits for reserved matters. The decision notice sets out the exact dates.
Can I sell a plot with prior approval for a barn conversion?
Yes. Prior approvals are time limited and have their own rules, so we check the approval and the building before making an offer.
Can you exchange quickly on a consented site?
Often, yes, because the planning question is answered. The pace then depends on title, searches and how quickly both solicitors work.
Do you cover the villages around Market Harborough?
Yes. Villages between Market Harborough, Desborough and Corby often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
Also near Market Harborough
More land we buy in Market Harborough
- Development land
- Land without planning permission
- Large strategic sites
- Land for affordable homes
- Farmland and agricultural land
- Paddocks and equestrian land
- Barns and rural buildings
- Building plots
- Garden land and backland
- Infill plots and gap sites
- Small sites
- Garage sites
- Brownfield land
- Redundant commercial and industrial land
- Inherited and probate land
- Landlocked land and access problems
- Outright purchase
- Subject-to-planning sale
- Option agreements
- Joint ventures
- All land in Market Harborough
- Land with planning permission in Leicestershire
Ready to talk about your land in Market Harborough?
A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.