Strategic land wanted in Kettering
Development Land Wanted buys strategic land in Kettering and right across England and Wales. Owners and agents are both welcome.
Strategic land is a larger site, usually for 50 or more homes, that is brought forward over several years through the local plan or a major application. We look at strategic land across England and Wales, usually under an option agreement or joint venture.
- Size
- 50+ homes
- Planning
- Usually without
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Option or JV
Strategic land we are looking for in Kettering
Around Kettering, strategic sites tend to be the big fields between the built edge and the main roads, where a whole new neighbourhood could be planned. In Northamptonshire, Kettering sits about 12 miles north-east of Northampton; Desborough and Wellingborough are its nearest neighbours on our list.
- Land for 50 or more homes next to a town or larger village
- Sites that could form part of a local plan allocation
- Land with more than one possible access point
- Sites already being considered by the council
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.
What usually makes or breaks it
Land assembly
Larger schemes often need several owners to agree a fair way to share value.
Station proximity (England)
The August 2026 NPPF gives new support to suitable development within reasonable walking distance of well-connected stations.
Promotion costs
Technical studies and plan representations cost money; under an option we pay them up front, and any recovery from the price is capped in the heads of terms.
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.
Northamptonshire has no designated Green Belt, so the main policy questions near Kettering are usually the settlement boundary, landscape and access.
Though we are based in Birmingham (roughly 51 miles away), distance is no barrier: we look at land across England and Wales.
Choosing how to sell
Outright purchase
Rare before planning; more usual once an allocation or outline consent exists.
Outright purchaseSubject-to-planning contract
Possible for the first phase of a larger holding.
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
You contribute the land, we fund and manage planning and delivery, and the proceeds are shared as agreed.
Joint ventureFrom first call to completion
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.
Strategic land in Kettering: common questions
How long does strategic land take?
Often several years, because it may need a local plan allocation and then an outline permission. We are honest about timing for each site.
Do I need to do anything while the land is promoted?
Usually very little beyond signing representations and allowing surveys. You normally keep using the land.
Do you buy strategic land in Kettering?
Yes. We buy strategic land in Kettering and throughout Northamptonshire, as well as elsewhere in England and Wales. Tell us where the land is and we will give you a free appraisal.
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.