Sites with lapsed or refused planning wanted in Northamptonshire
Development Land Wanted buys sites with lapsed or refused planning in Northamptonshire and right across England and Wales. Owners and agents are both welcome.
If your permission expired or an application was refused, the land may still be developable. A refusal often comes down to design, access or a specific technical issue that can be addressed in a new application.

- Size
- Any
- Planning
- Lapsed, refused or withdrawn
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Conditional or outright
Sites with lapsed or refused planning we are looking for in Northamptonshire
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.
- Land refused for design, access or technical reasons
- Withdrawn applications
- Land with an old permission that was never started
- Plots where policy has changed since the last decision
The M1, A14 and A43 corridors, and the Midland Main Line through Kettering, Wellingborough and Corby, focus much of the area's growth. Protected wetland bird habitats in the Nene valley gravel pits mean some schemes near the river contribute to recreational mitigation.
What decides whether a site in Northamptonshire works
Appeal history
An inspector's decision carries weight in future applications.
Technical work
Some refusals turn on drainage, highways or ecology evidence that can be improved.
Time since decision
The longer ago the decision, the more the context may have changed.
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.
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.
Sites with lapsed or refused planning wanted in towns across Northamptonshire
Four ways to sell to us
Subject-to-planning contract
We agree a price now and complete once a satisfactory planning permission is granted.
Subject-to-planning contractHow a sale to us works
Tell us about the land
Use the form or call us with the location and a rough outline of the site.
Free appraisal
We review title, planning and constraints and tell you honestly what we think.
Written offer
If the site suits us, we set out an offer and the way we propose to buy.
Solicitors take over
Your solicitor and ours agree the contract; we keep you informed throughout.
Sites with lapsed or refused planning in Northamptonshire: common questions
My application was refused. Should I appeal or re-apply?
It depends on the reasons and time limits. Sometimes a revised application is better than an appeal. We look at the decision and say what we would do.
Does a refusal make the land worth less?
It can affect value, but often the reasons can be addressed. Policy may also have changed since the decision.
How quickly can you look at a site in Northamptonshire?
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.
Do I need to pay anything to have land in Northamptonshire assessed?
No. Our appraisal is free and there is no obligation to sell to us.
