Land Promotion Agreements in Northamptonshire
Promotion agreements are often used for larger sites in Northamptonshire that need a plan allocation or a major planning application. The agreement sets a term, a minimum price, the promoter's fee and how costs are recovered. Land to Homes explains each term in plain English and pays your reasonable legal fees, agreed up front in the heads of terms.
NorthamptonshireFree site appraisal
Tell us about your land and we will call you back. No cost, no obligation.
Prefer to talk? Call 0800 088 6248.
- Free site appraisalNo cost, no obligation
- Legal fees coveredReasonable fees, on options and promotion
- Nothing to pay upfrontOn promotion: we fund planning
- Direct purchaseSuitable sites, with or without planning
- UK-wideEngland, Wales, Scotland and NI
Selling land around Northamptonshire
Our Northamptonshire coverage takes in 6 towns and cities, centred on Northampton and including Kettering, Rushden and Wellingborough. If your land is near a boundary, we also cover Rutland, Leicestershire and Bedfordshire. Northamptonshire is close to our head office in Great Barr, Birmingham.
In and around Northamptonshire, the land we appraise ranges from small holdings and pony paddocks to paddocks on the edge of Northampton, including backland plots with a workable access. Because Northamptonshire is in England, land titles are registered with HM Land Registry and transfers attract Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).
If you own land near Northamptonshire, the first step is a free, no-obligation appraisal.
What you get in Northamptonshire
Interests aligned on price
The promoter's fee is linked to the sale price, so we only do well if you do. That is the main difference from an option, where the buyer benefits from a lower valuation.
Retained land protected
If you keep neighbouring land, the agreement can secure access and services to it, so the new scheme does not cut off the rest of your holding or limit its future use.
Reasonable legal fees covered
We pay your reasonable legal fees on promotion agreements, with the amount agreed up front in the heads of terms. You choose your own solicitor to act for you.
Strategic planning work
Larger sites often need representations to the development plan, studies on transport, drainage and ecology, and engagement with the local community. We manage that work and report progress to you.
Rules that apply in Northamptonshire
In England, most planning applications for new homes in Northamptonshire are decided by the local planning authority, usually the council, using its Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework. Many landowners sell without planning, either outright or through an option or promotion agreement that funds the application first. Land to Homes offers a free site appraisal, pays your reasonable legal fees on option and promotion agreements, and can buy suitable sites directly, subject to survey, title and contract.
In England, promotion usually focuses on getting land allocated in a Local Plan, or permitted where the council cannot show enough land for housing. Larger schemes often go in as outline applications, and the heads of terms should explain how Section 106 obligations, the Community Infrastructure Levy and biodiversity net gain costs affect the net proceeds.
| National planning policy | National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), revised August 2026, with national planning practice guidance |
|---|---|
| Local planning document | Local Plan |
| Who decides applications | The local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority) |
| In-principle consent | Outline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later |
| Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer) | Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) |
| Land registration | HM Land Registry |
| How a sale becomes binding | A land sale becomes legally binding on exchange of contracts and finishes on completion, after which the buyer registers the title with HM Land Registry. |
| Developer contributions | Section 106 planning obligations, plus the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) where the council charges it |
Questions about Land Promotion Agreements in Northamptonshire
What is a minimum price in a promotion agreement?
It is the lowest figure at which the landowner can be required to sell once planning is granted. It protects you from a sale in a weak market. Set it too high and the land may not sell; set it too low and it gives little protection. Some agreements allow review by an independent surveyor.
Who pays if the planning application fails?
On a Land to Homes promotion agreement there is nothing to pay upfront. We fund the planning work, and our costs are recovered from the sale proceeds only if the land sells with planning. How costs are treated in every scenario is written into the heads of terms before you sign anything.
What fee does a land promoter take?
The fee is usually a share of the sale proceeds, sometimes calculated after costs are deducted and sometimes capped. There is no standard rate: it depends on the size of the site, the planning risk and the costs involved. Ask for the fee and the cost rules to be set out clearly in the heads of terms.
Will I have a say over who buys the land?
Usually, yes. Promotion agreements typically involve the landowner in agreeing the marketing approach and the choice of buyer, subject to the minimum price. Where several bids meet the minimum, the agreement sets out how the preferred bid is chosen and what happens if the parties disagree.
Is Northamptonshire an area you cover for land?
Yes, we cover land across Northamptonshire, including Rushden, Daventry and Wellingborough. Where a site suits us we can buy it directly, or set up an option or promotion agreement. On promotion there is nothing to pay upfront.
Read more: Land Promotion Agreements · Guide: How to sell land for development