Land without planning permission wanted in Kettering
Development Land Wanted buys land without planning permission in Kettering and right across England and Wales. Owners and agents are both welcome.
Land without planning permission is land that has no current consent for development but may be able to get one. Most of the land we are offered falls into this group, and we assess whether a planning route is realistic before suggesting how a sale could work.

- Size
- Any
- Planning
- None yet
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Conditional, option or JV
The land without planning permission that interests us around Kettering
For land on the edges of Kettering with no consent yet, the first questions are access, flood risk and how the council's current plan treats the area. Kettering is in Northamptonshire, about 12 miles north-east of Northampton. Nearby places include Desborough, Wellingborough and Corby.
- Fields and paddocks next to existing settlements
- Land the owner has put forward to a local plan or call for sites
- Land where a previous application was refused for reasons that could be overcome
- Land of any size, including single plots
Northamptonshire is centred on Northampton, with Kettering, Corby, Wellingborough, Rushden, Daventry and Brackley and many villages in between. There is no Green Belt and no National Park or National Landscape in the county, so constraints are mostly local: flood risk in the Nene valley, landscape and heritage. Typical sites include edge-of-town fields, urban extensions, farm buildings and village infill, plus former industrial land in the towns.
Checks we make on land without planning permission in Kettering
Who pays for planning
Applications, surveys and reports cost money; on conditional and option deals we normally pay for them up front, and any costs deducted from the price are agreed and capped.
Timescale
Getting permission can take months or years; we are honest about that from the start.
Access and highways
Without a safe access, even well-located land is unlikely to get consent.
Since 6 August 2026, non-major development on sites of 0.2 hectares or less in England has generally been exempt from mandatory biodiversity net gain, unless priority habitat is affected. That makes many small sites simpler to bring forward.
Northamptonshire has no designated Green Belt, so the main policy questions near Kettering are usually the settlement boundary, landscape and access.
We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, around 51 miles from Kettering, and we travel to see sites across England and Wales.
Choosing how to sell
Outright purchase
Possible where we are comfortable taking the planning risk ourselves.
Outright purchaseSubject-to-planning contract
The most common route: we fund the application and complete once 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 agreementJoint venture
For owners who want a bigger share of the upside in return for more risk.
Joint ventureThe 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.
Your questions answered
Who pays for the planning application?
On a subject-to-planning contract or an option agreement, we normally pay for the application and the reports that go with it. Under an option, agreed costs may later be deducted from the price; any deduction is capped and set out in the heads of terms.
What if planning is refused?
That depends on the deal. Under a conditional contract we can usually decide whether to appeal, re-apply or walk away; if we walk away you keep your land.
Can an agent introduce land in Kettering 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.
Do I need to pay anything to have land in Kettering assessed?
No. Our appraisal is free and there is no obligation to sell to us.
