Sell land without planning permission in Market Harborough
Whether your land is in Market Harborough itself or in the villages between Market Harborough and Desborough, we'll look at it properly before making any offer.
Most land for sale has no planning permission. That does not stop a sale; it changes how the deal should be structured so the planning risk is shared sensibly.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- Figures explained, so you can check them
- No pressure to decide
Tell us about your land
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Market Harborough at a glance
From Market Harborough, it's 5 miles to Desborough and 10 miles to Corby. We buy land across that whole stretch of Leicestershire, not only within the town.
| 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
- Sites the council has assessed in its land availability study
- Land with a road frontage or a clear way to create access
- Former orchards, nurseries and smallholdings
- Grazing land with no tenancy or with a tenancy that can be ended
Without consent, land is valued on its current use plus whatever hope value its location supports. We will explain how much of our offer is each, so you can see what you are being paid for.
The things that move our offer
Current use value
Agricultural or amenity value is the floor under any offer.
Hope value
The extra a buyer will pay for the chance of permission, which rises the closer the land is to existing homes.
Access and services
Land that is easy to reach and connect is cheaper to promote and build on.
Constraints
Green belt, flood zones, heritage and landscape designations reduce the chance of consent.
Choosing how to sell
Outright purchase
Certainty now, at a price that reflects the planning risk we take on.
Subject-to-planning sale
We exchange contracts now and complete once permission is granted.
Option agreements
We pay for the right to buy later and fund the planning work meanwhile.
Joint ventures
You keep a stake and share in the value planning creates.
How a sale works
Tell us about your land
Send the postcode or address and a rough size.
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.
The legal work
Your solicitor and ours handle the contract through to completion.
Rules that apply in England
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.
Green belt and grey belt
Green belt land is protected from inappropriate development. National policy in England also recognises 'grey belt': green belt land that doesn't strongly contribute to key green belt purposes, where housing can be acceptable if further tests are met.
Farm tenancies
Agricultural Holdings Act tenancies and farm business tenancies have their own notice and compensation rules, which affect when land can be developed.
Common problems, and how we handle them
The council says the land is outside the settlement
Settlement boundaries change when plans are reviewed. We look at the plan timetable and whether the site could be promoted at the next review.
A neighbour objects to everything
Objections are weighed against planning policy, not counted. We judge the scheme on policy grounds.
Useful to send us
- The address or postcode
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
- Any planning applications or letters
Questions from landowners near Market Harborough
What is hope value?
Hope value is the premium a buyer pays above the current use value because there is a realistic prospect of planning permission. It is higher the more likely and closer that permission is.
Who pays for the planning application?
On subject-to-planning and option deals we normally fund the planning work. On an outright purchase it is our risk and our cost after completion.
Do you buy land in the green belt?
Sometimes. Green belt land is hard to develop, though England's planning policy now recognises 'grey belt' land. We will tell you frankly whether your site has a realistic prospect.
Can you visit land near Market Harborough?
Yes. Once we've looked at the title and planning position, we arrange a site visit if the land looks suitable. Send the address or postcode to start.
Nearby towns
More land we buy in Market Harborough
- Development land
- Land with 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 without planning permission in Leicestershire
Get a straight answer about your land
Send the postcode and a rough size. We'll check the title and planning position and come back to you.