Farmland and paddocks wanted in Leicestershire
Development Land Wanted buys farmland and paddocks in Leicestershire and right across England and Wales. Owners and agents are both welcome.
Farmland and paddocks can become development land when they sit beside a settlement that needs new homes. We look for fields on the edges of towns and villages across England and Wales and work with owners on options, conditional contracts and joint ventures.
- Size
- Paddocks to whole farms
- Planning
- Usually without
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Option, conditional or JV
Farmland and paddocks we are looking for in Leicestershire
Leicestershire surrounds the city of Leicester and includes Loughborough, Hinckley, Coalville, Melton Mowbray and Market Harborough, plus many villages. There is no Green Belt, although local plans use green wedges and areas of separation to keep settlements apart. Typical sites include edge-of-town and village fields, farm buildings, infill plots and former industrial land around Coalville and the north-west of the county.
- Land with road frontage or a farm track to a road
- Parcels from a few acres to whole holdings
- Land let on a farm business tenancy or grazing licence
- Farmland where the owner wants to keep farming meanwhile
The M1, M69 and Midland Main Line corridors carry most growth, with urban extensions around Leicester and Loughborough. In the north-west, nutrient advice for the River Mease has affected schemes, and much of the area near Coalville is former coalfield, so mining risk checks can apply.
What usually makes or breaks it
Farm schemes
Environmental and payment schemes may have obligations to unwind or agree.
Landscape
Protected landscapes and sensitive views limit what may be acceptable.
Best and most versatile land
High-grade agricultural land can be a factor in planning decisions.
In England, the revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August 2026 replaced the old "tilted balance" with new settlement policies: development within a settlement should normally be approved unless the harm substantially outweighs the benefits, while land outside a settlement can gain support in defined circumstances.
Where an English council cannot show a five-year supply of housing land, or its Housing Delivery Test result falls below 75%, the August 2026 NPPF can give policy support to suitable housing outside settlement boundaries.
Leicestershire has no designated Green Belt, so the main policy questions near Leicestershire are usually the settlement boundary, landscape and access.
Farmland and paddocks wanted in towns across Leicestershire
How we could buy your land in Leicestershire
Outright purchase
We agree a price and buy the land, with no planning condition attached.
Outright purchaseSubject-to-planning contract
Works well for smaller paddocks and edge-of-village fields.
Subject-to-planning contractOption agreement
You grant us the right to buy within a set period, usually for an option premium, while we pursue planning.
Option agreementThe next steps
Get in touch
Tell us where the land is and what you know about it.
Site review
We look at the land, its planning position and anything that could affect it.
Proposal
We put our proposal in writing, with no obligation to accept.
Exchange and completion
If you go ahead, contracts are exchanged and the sale completes on the agreed terms.
Questions owners in Leicestershire ask
My land is let to a tenant. Can I still sell?
Usually, yes. The type of tenancy decides how and when possession can be obtained, so we look at the agreement early.
Will I lose my farm payments?
Development land may need to leave a scheme at some point. Check your agreements and take advice; we plan timing around them where we can.
Can an agent introduce land in Leicestershire to you?
Yes. Estate agents, land agents and planning consultants can introduce sites with the owner's consent. Any fee is agreed in writing before details are shared, confirmed by the owner in writing and paid only on completion.
How quickly can you look at a site in Leicestershire?
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.