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Wanted in Derby

Development land wanted in Derby

Development Land Wanted buys land of every size in Derby and the villages nearby.

Derby is the county town of Derbyshire. Nearby places we also cover include Belper, Ilkeston and Heanor. Though we are based in Birmingham (roughly 32 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.

Derbyshire stretches from the city of Derby and towns such as Ilkeston, Long Eaton, Belper and Ripley in the south and east to the Peak District uplands in the north-west. Green Belt covers land between Derby and Nottingham, near Swadlincote and on the edges of Sheffield and Greater Manchester, while the Peak District National Park covers much of the north. Former colliery and industrial land, edge-of-town fields and village infill are the usual sources of housing sites.

The August 2026 NPPF supports homes within reasonable walking distance (around 800 metres) of well-connected railway stations, with minimum densities of 35 homes per hectare, or 45 near higher-frequency stations.

Some land in Derbyshire is designated Green Belt. If your land is within it, it may still qualify as grey belt or previously developed land under national policy, subject to the Golden Rules.

Land we want in Derby

Edge-of-town meadow with timber survey stakes and orange marker pegs, houses along the far boundary

Residential development land

Around Derby, the residential land that tends to work is close to existing homes, shops and transport rather than out on its own.

Vacant fenced development plot with a council planning notice tied to a lamp post and terraced houses beyond

Land with planning permission

If you hold a consent in or near Derby, send us the decision notice and the approved drawings; that is usually enough for a first view.

Gently sloping green field next to an English village with a church tower behind a hawthorn hedge

Land without planning permission

For land on the edges of Derby with no consent yet, the first questions are access, flood risk and how the council's current plan treats the area.

Cleared former industrial yard with cracked concrete, a palisade fence and an old brick warehouse wall

Brownfield land

In Derby, the brownfield sites we look at are often tucked behind main roads or alongside older housing, close to services.

Overgrown empty plot between two Edwardian semi-detached houses on a suburban street

Infill plots

We look for infill plots across Derby and the surrounding villages, particularly where there is room for parking off the road.

Long rear gardens behind 1930s semi-detached houses with a gravel access lane along the bottom

Garden and backland plots

Backland development in Derby turns on access and privacy; we look at both before suggesting whether an application is worth making.

Horse paddock with post-and-rail fencing and a field gate on the edge of a village at evening

Farmland and paddocks

Around Derby, paddocks and fields beside existing homes can have real potential, even where they have been grazed or farmed for generations.

High aerial view of large farmland fields beside a market town, a ring road and a river lined with willows

Strategic land

If you own a substantial holding near Derby, the council's plan timetable will shape when and how it could be promoted.

Corner plot of rough grass at a suburban road junction with houses along both roads

Small sites

Small sites in and around Derby are central to what we look for, from corner plots to the odd field on the edge of a nearby village.

Vacant single-storey industrial units with grey roller shutters and an empty tarmac forecourt

Commercial and industrial sites

We look at yards and units across Derby where the business use has run its course or the site sits awkwardly among houses.

Disused two-storey 1960s brick office building with an empty weed-cracked car park among houses

Redundant buildings

Redundant buildings in Derby often sit in the heart of things, close to shops and transport, which can make them strong residential sites.

Traditional red-brick barn with clay tile roof beside a modern steel portal-frame barn on a farmyard

Barns and rural buildings

In the countryside around Derby, redundant barns and yards can sometimes become homes, depending on the building and the route available.

Row of lock-up garages with faded up-and-over doors around a tarmac court behind 1960s houses

Garage courts and yards

Garage courts tucked behind homes in Derby are often ideal for a small number of new houses or bungalows.

Overgrown fenced plot with brambles and saplings behind a weathered hoarding between houses

Sites with lapsed or refused planning

Sites around Derby with an old refusal can be worth a second look, especially where local or national policy has since changed.

Desk with a printed local plan proposals map showing coloured site boundaries and a housing layout sketch

Allocated and promoted land

We are interested in land around Derby at any plan stage, from a first submission to an adopted allocation.

Four ways to sell to us

01

Outright purchase

We agree a price and buy the land, with no planning condition attached.

Outright purchase

02

Subject-to-planning contract

We agree a price now and complete once a satisfactory planning permission is granted.

Subject-to-planning contract

03

Option agreement

You grant us the right to buy within a set period, usually for an option premium, while we pursue planning.

Option agreement

04

Joint venture

You contribute the land, we fund and manage planning and delivery, and the proceeds are shared as agreed.

What happens after you get in touch

Send the basics
A postcode or plan and a few lines about the land are enough to start.
We do the homework
We check planning history, policy, flood maps and access at no cost to you.
We explain the options
You get a written proposal covering price, structure and timing.
Agree and proceed
Once you are happy, solicitors are instructed and the deal moves forward.

Frequently asked in Derbyshire

Do you buy development land in Derby?

Yes. We buy development land in Derby and throughout Derbyshire, as well as elsewhere in England and Wales. Tell us where the land is and we will give you a free appraisal.

Is Derby too far from our Birmingham base?

No. We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 32 miles from Derby, and we look at land right across England and Wales.

How quickly can you look at a site in Derby?

For most sites we can give an initial view once we have the location and a plan. Detailed checks follow if the land looks suitable.

Is there a minimum or maximum site size?

No. We look at single building plots through to land for 50 or more homes.

Got land that could take new homes?

Free, no-obligation site appraisal. We buy directly, with or without planning.

Submit a site 0800 088 6248

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