Land with planning permission wanted in Derbyshire
We are actively looking for land with planning permission in Derbyshire and the surrounding area, with or without planning permission.
Land with planning permission is a site where the council has already granted consent for new homes, either in outline or in full. We buy consented sites across England and Wales, including those where the owner does not want to build out the scheme.
- Size
- Any number of homes
- Planning
- Outline, full or reserved matters
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Outright or conditional
The land with planning permission that interests us around Derbyshire
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.
- Outline permissions, full permissions and approved reserved matters
- Consents with a Section 106 agreement or Community Infrastructure Levy liability
- Sites where some pre-commencement conditions are still to be discharged
- Larger consented schemes where the owner does not want to build
Much of eastern Derbyshire lies on the former coalfield, where a coal mining risk assessment is often needed before building. The M1 corridor towns such as Chesterfield, Alfreton and Ilkeston, and the Swadlincote area near Burton upon Trent, see steady demand for small and medium housing sites.
What decides whether a site in Derbyshire works
Time limit
Permissions normally have to be started within a set period, so the date the consent expires matters a great deal.
Conditions
Pre-commencement conditions, such as drainage or ecology details, must be dealt with before work can lawfully start.
Scheme design
Some approved layouts are hard to build or sell; others can be improved with a fresh application.
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.
National policy in England now recognises "medium development" of 10 to 49 homes on sites up to 2.5 hectares, and asks councils to allocate at least 10% of their housing on sites of one hectare or less and a further 10% on sites of one to 2.5 hectares.
Land with planning permission wanted in towns across Derbyshire
Ways to sell land with planning permission in Derbyshire
Outright purchase
The usual route for consented land: an agreed price and a straightforward sale.
Outright purchaseSubject-to-planning contract
We agree a price now and complete once a satisfactory planning permission is granted.
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
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.
Questions owners in Derbyshire ask
Do I need to discharge the conditions before selling?
No. Many sites are sold with conditions still outstanding. We look at what is left to do and allow for it.
Can you buy if the approved scheme is not one you would build?
Yes. Sometimes we buy on the basis of the existing permission and then seek changes through a new or amended application.
How quickly can you look at a site in Derbyshire?
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.
Which planning rules apply to land in Derbyshire?
As Derbyshire is in England, national policy comes from the National Planning Policy Framework, revised in August 2026. Local policies in the council's development plan also apply.