Selling Land in Northamptonshire

Since April 2021 Northamptonshire has had two unitary councils. West Northamptonshire covers Northampton, Daventry, Towcester, Brackley and the south of the county. North Northamptonshire covers Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough, Rushden, Thrapston, Oundle and the villages of the Nene Valley. Each council decides its own planning applications and is preparing one local plan for its whole area.

• Both councils are delivering. North Northamptonshire built 108% of the homes it needed in the Housing Delivery Test 2025, and West Northamptonshire built 104%. Neither is in the unmet need category, and neither has a large margin above target either.
• The strategic plans are old. West Northamptonshire still relies on a joint core strategy adopted in December 2014. North Northamptonshire relies on one adopted in July 2016. Both predate the councils themselves.
• No Green Belt. Unlike most of the counties around London, there is no Green Belt anywhere in Northamptonshire, so grey belt policy does not come into play.
• No National Landscape. The main landscape designations are local ones, such as the historic Rockingham Forest area around Corby and the valley of the River Nene.
• A logistics and commuter county. The M1, A14, A43 and A45 and two main rail lines have brought steady demand for homes and for warehouse space.

The Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits

The old gravel workings along the Nene between Northampton and Thrapston form a Special Protection Area and Ramsar site for wintering birds. New homes within 5.9 kilometres of it are expected to pay towards measures that manage visitor pressure. North Northamptonshire's rate from June 2026 is £371.17 per new home, plus a small administration fee. Very large schemes of 500 homes or more are expected to provide their own alternative natural green space. None of this stops development, but it is a cost and a design point that we build into our assessment for land in the Nene Valley.

Flood Risk

The Nene and its tributaries, including the Ise, the Tove and the Brampton branch that meets it at Northampton, have wide, flat flood plains. Northampton flooded badly in 1998, and parts of Wellingborough, Thrapston, Oundle and many valley villages sit close to the river. The Welland forms part of the northern boundary, and the Great Ouse rises near Brackley. Land in Flood Zones 2 and 3 faces the sequential test, but a field with one wet edge can often keep the homes on higher ground and use the lower part for drainage and open space. Our guide to flood risk and development land covers this in more detail.

Landscape and Heritage

Without a Green Belt or National Landscape, the landscape debate in Northamptonshire tends to be about local character: the setting of stone villages, gaps between towns, and views across open valleys. The county has many ironstone and limestone villages with conservation areas, and a number of country houses and parks. Heritage settings shape layout and density more often than they rule land out.

Roads and Infrastructure

Growth along the M1 and A14 has put pressure on junctions, and National Highways looks closely at schemes that add traffic to the strategic network. Schools, doctors and sewage treatment capacity also come up often. A good site is one where access can be taken from a road that can cope, and where drainage and utilities can be sorted out at a sensible cost.

Both councils are building just above their target. That means a speculative application on an unallocated field cannot lean on a housing shortfall under the Housing Delivery Test, although the age of both core strategies does matter. Housing need has been recalculated nationally since they were adopted, so the old plans no longer reflect what each council now has to find room for. The routes we see working best are:

1. The new local plans. West Northamptonshire's draft is heading for examination and North Northamptonshire's plan is at an early stage. Land needs to be put forward and supported with evidence at each stage. See our guide to call for sites and local plans.
2. Neighbourhood plans. Northamptonshire has a large number of neighbourhood plans, and several allocate housing sites in villages. Parish councils are often open to a well-designed small scheme that meets local needs.
3. Land outside settlements. The 2026 NPPF sets out when development outside settlement boundaries can be supported. Where a council is meeting its Housing Delivery Test, that case has to rest on the site and the plan position rather than on under-delivery.
4. Previously developed land. Old yards, depots and farm buildings. National policy supports reusing them, and some farm buildings can be converted under Class Q.
5. Sites near stations. Northampton, Long Buckby, Wellingborough, Kettering and Corby all have stations. National policy supports higher density homes close to well-connected stations, and whether that applies depends on the station and its service.

Northamptonshire is not a Green Belt county, and that helps. The main tests are flood risk, access, landscape character and whether the site fits the council's strategy. Land that passes those tests, next to a growing town, can do well here, but the timing of the two local plans will decide when.