Blaby District contains some of Leicestershire’s most strategically located land, from the Leicester urban fringe and M1 Junction 21 to established villages, employment areas and large-scale growth locations. Value depends on the planning route, access, infrastructure and the amount of land that can be developed without undermining neighbouring settlements or retained uses.
We assess land around Braunstone Town, Enderby, Narborough, Blaby, Whetstone, Countesthorpe, Stoney Stanton, Sapcote and the district’s rural villages. This includes urban-edge fields, proposed strategic sites, brownfield land, employment plots, paddocks, agricultural land and parcels adjoining existing developments.
Our review considers the adopted development plan, the July–September 2026 Regulation 19 Local Plan, settlement relationships, highways, drainage, ecology, landscape, utilities, ownership and likely infrastructure costs before providing an initial view of development prospects and potential value.
Our initial assessment is completely free and comes with no obligation.
Do You Own Land in Blaby District? Discover What Your Land Could Be Worth
Obtaining planning permission can significantly increase the value of land, making it one of the most important factors influencing its market value. Determining whether land is suitable for development involves much more than location alone. Councils assess a wide range of factors, including planning policy, access and highways, landscape, ecology, flood risk, drainage, heritage, utilities and infrastructure. Whilst no single factor guarantees planning permission, land that benefits from a combination of favourable characteristics is generally more likely to be considered suitable for development, increasing both its market value and long-term development potential.
The location of your land is one of the most important factors when assessing its development potential. Land situated close to existing towns, villages, schools, shops, employment areas and public transport is often more attractive to both developers and local planning authorities. Sites that naturally extend existing communities are generally considered more suitable for future residential or commercial development.
Planning policy plays a major role in determining whether land may be suitable for development. Councils prepare Local Plans to identify where future homes and employment growth should take place. Land that aligns with national planning policy, emerging Local Plans or areas identified for future growth may have a greater opportunity of securing planning permission over time.
Safe and practical access is essential for almost every development. Councils will consider whether vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists can safely access the site, together with the effect on the surrounding road network. Land that can be connected to existing highways without significant improvements is often viewed more favourably when assessing future development opportunities.
The surrounding landscape can significantly influence whether land is suitable for development. Factors such as topography, existing trees, hedgerows, important views and the relationship with neighbouring development are carefully considered. Sites that can be sensitively integrated into the surrounding landscape whilst retaining important natural features generally offer greater development potential.
Wildlife and environmental considerations form an important part of the planning process. Existing habitats, protected species, mature trees, hedgerows and nearby nature conservation sites are all assessed. Land with fewer ecological constraints, or where habitats can be protected and enhanced through thoughtful design, may provide stronger opportunities for future development.
Flood risk is an important consideration when assessing land for development. Sites with a lower risk of flooding are generally more suitable, although many locations can still be successfully developed with appropriate drainage solutions. Councils will also consider how surface water can be managed through sustainable drainage systems to reduce future flood risk.
Historic buildings, conservation areas and archaeological remains can all influence the development potential of land. Planning authorities will assess whether development could affect the significance or setting of heritage assets. Land with limited heritage constraints, or where sensitive design can preserve local character, is often easier to bring forward for development.
Access to essential infrastructure can influence how easily a site can be developed. This includes electricity, water, drainage, broadband, gas and nearby community facilities such as schools and healthcare. Land that can be connected to existing services without significant investment is generally more attractive from both a planning and development perspective.
Every site is unique, and no single factor determines whether planning permission can be achieved. A successful assessment considers all planning, environmental and technical matters together to understand the site's overall suitability. By reviewing each of these considerations, it is possible to identify both the opportunities and constraints that could affect future development potential.
The latest land value estimates for Blaby District, published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), indicate that residential development land with planning permission could be worth between £1.1 million and £3.4 million per acre, depending on the density of the development. These figures highlight the significant uplift in value that can be achieved when suitable land secures planning consent.
The difference becomes particularly clear when development land values are compared with agricultural land prices across the Midlands. Recent agricultural land market evidence provides the following broad regional benchmarks:
On this basis, residential development land with planning permission could be worth more than 100 times the typical value of agricultural land. This demonstrates why landowners should investigate whether their agricultural, paddock, equestrian or amenity land may have development potential before deciding to sell.
At Value My Land, we help landowners understand the development potential of their land and the steps required to increase its value. Where appropriate, we manage and fund the entire planning process at our own cost and risk, allowing landowners to increase the value of their land without incurring any upfront costs or taking on any financial or planning risk.
See how agricultural land is valued in the UK, including land quality, access, location, tenure, market demand and development potential. Our evergreen guide explains why price-per-acre evidence is only a starting point and how site-specific factors can affect farmland value.
Read Our Agricultural Land Value GuideA Blaby District valuation must reflect the site’s precise relationship with Leicester, the district’s towns and villages, the strategic road network and the emerging growth strategy. Headline acreage is less important than the net developable area, the policy route and the infrastructure needed to create a complete, marketable development site.
Land adjoining the Leicester Principal Urban Area, a large village or an existing allocation is assessed differently from isolated countryside. The strength of pedestrian, cycle and public-transport connections can be as important as straight-line distance.
Strategic accessibility can support housing, employment, logistics and mixed-use value, but motorway noise, congestion, air quality and the cost of junction improvements can reduce the developable area or delay delivery.
An adopted allocation, a proposed Regulation 19 allocation, a reserve opportunity and an unallocated site carry different levels of certainty. The wording, phasing and infrastructure requirements of the relevant policy must be read carefully.
Large opportunities around Whetstone Pastures, Stoney Stanton and the Leicester fringe may depend on several ownerships, shared access, schools, open space and strategic transport. A parcel’s value can be affected by whether it helps or obstructs the wider masterplan.
River and brook corridors, surface-water routes, sewer capacity, infiltration conditions and ground levels influence the land available for homes, employment, roads and sustainable drainage.
Countryside gaps, green wedges, prominent ridgelines, mature hedgerows and the character of villages such as Cosby, Croft and Countesthorpe can require buffers, lower densities or a smaller development envelope.
Land near Fosse Park, Meridian, Grove Park and established industrial areas may support employment or commercial uses. Housing assumptions should not be applied without testing noise, servicing, air quality and compatibility.
Value is created by planning certainty and deliverability rather than by proximity to growth alone. The appraisal should identify the realistic use, the number of saleable units or commercial floorspace, and every cost that a purchaser will deduct from the completed-development value.
The adopted Core Strategy and Delivery Development Plan Document remain the statutory starting point, while the Proposed Submission Local Plan now sets out the Council’s intended strategy to 2042. The weight given to the emerging plan will increase as it progresses, but its allocations and requirements remain subject to consultation, examination and possible modification.
The Core Strategy was adopted in February 2013 and the Delivery DPD in February 2019. Together they contain the current settlement, allocation and development-management policies used to determine planning applications until the replacement plan is adopted.
The Council published its Proposed Submission Local Plan on 8 July 2026. Following an extension, Regulation 19 representations can be submitted until 12 noon on 7 September 2026. Representations should focus on legal compliance and soundness and will be sent to the appointed Inspector when the plan is submitted.
Government housing figures require provision for 11,195 homes by 2042. Taking account of completions, commitments and windfalls, the proposed plan allocates land for around 7,310 new homes and identifies long-term strategic growth at Whetstone Pastures and west of Stoney Stanton.
New Lubbesthorpe already demonstrates how strategic growth changes surrounding land, access and infrastructure. Future sites will require similarly detailed phasing, transport, education, green infrastructure, drainage and viability evidence before development value can be relied upon.
A landowner considering a Regulation 19 representation should address the tests of soundness, the Sustainability Appraisal, reasonable alternatives and the deliverability of the Council’s preferred strategy. Simply asserting that a field is available is unlikely to displace an allocated site without proportionate evidence on access, infrastructure, landscape, ecology, drainage and timing.
Promotion should be matched to the site’s policy position. A parcel within a proposed strategic location requires a different strategy from a village-edge site, a brownfield opportunity or land that may only become relevant in a later plan review.
Review the adopted plan, Regulation 19 policies, allocations, Sustainability Appraisal and evidence base to establish whether the best route is representation, examination, planning application or longer-term promotion.
Map ownership, access, retained land, hedgerows, drainage corridors and any land needed for schools, roads, SuDS or biodiversity. The promoted boundary should be capable of functioning as part of the wider development.
Obtain proportionate highways, drainage, utilities and education advice before relying on a capacity figure. Strategic sites near the M1 and Leicester fringe may require cumulative transport modelling and coordinated contributions.
Prepare a clear explanation of sustainability, settlement relationship, need, landscape containment, environmental effects and deliverability. Evidence should respond directly to the Council’s site-selection methodology.
Use a promotion agreement or other appropriate structure to align costs, decision-making, minimum price, retained rights and competitive marketing. Do not grant control before the likely planning route and commercial deductions are understood.
Where land forms part of a wider strategic location, equalisation, collaboration and infrastructure agreements may be as important as the planning promotion agreement. The commercial structure should prevent one access, ownership or early phase from capturing a disproportionate share of value.
Blaby District combines the southern and western Leicester urban fringe, major motorway and employment corridors, established villages and extensive agricultural land. Each part of the district creates a different planning and valuation context.
Braunstone Town, Thorpe Astley, Glenfield, Kirby Muxloe and Leicester Forest East are influenced by the Leicester housing and employment market, but available land is constrained by existing development, roads and green infrastructure.
The consented community of 4,250 homes, employment land, schools, centres and transport improvements has established a major growth corridor west of Leicester and affects the role and value of nearby parcels.
The Proposed Submission Plan identifies a substantial strategic location south of Countesthorpe and around Cosby and Whetstone. Delivery depends on comprehensive masterplanning, strategic transport, infrastructure and landscape treatment.
Land around Stoney Stanton, Sapcote, Huncote, Croft and nearby villages may be influenced by proposed strategic growth, but settlement separation, local road capacity and village character remain important.
Fosse Park, Meridian, Grove Park and surrounding employment and leisure uses create strong commercial demand. Access, servicing, congestion, air quality and the relationship with residential areas determine the most suitable use.
Agricultural land around Sharnford, Elmesthorpe, Thurlaston and smaller settlements may support rural enterprise or carefully located housing, but sustainability, landscape and infrastructure require close assessment.
A free initial review can begin with a postcode, title plan, map pin or what3words reference. We assess land throughout the district and on boundaries with Leicester, Hinckley and Bosworth, Harborough and Rugby.
Urban-edge, infill, commercial and mixed-use opportunities influenced by Leicester, the M1 and established growth.
Land close to Junction 21, Fosse Park, rail services and existing employment, together with village-edge and brownfield sites.
Residential, employment and strategic land where local services, traffic, drainage and settlement character must be balanced.
Village-edge and agricultural land affected by local infrastructure, quarry or employment uses, landscape and emerging strategic growth.
Sites adjoining Leicester and existing neighbourhoods where boundaries, access, green infrastructure and cumulative development are important.
Smaller development, rural business, conversion, diversification and long-term strategic opportunities requiring proportionate evidence.
If land crosses an administrative boundary, the planning authority, policy position and infrastructure responsibilities may differ across the same ownership. The whole site should be mapped before a planning or commercial strategy is chosen.
The best use is site-specific. We compare the planning prospects and commercial implications of several possible routes rather than applying a single residential value to every parcel.
Large parcels within or adjoining proposed growth locations may require years of plan promotion, coordinated ownership and major infrastructure, but can create substantial value where the policy and delivery case is robust.
Land adjoining established neighbourhoods can benefit from services and market demand. Access, capacity, landscape, green wedges and the relationship with adjoining authorities must still be resolved.
Sites close to the motorway network, Fosse Park, Meridian and existing business areas may suit industrial, logistics, office, retail or mixed commercial uses where access and compatibility are demonstrated.
Redundant premises, former commercial sites, oversized plots and underused land can provide shorter planning routes, although demolition, contamination, neighbouring uses and viability may reduce value.
Smaller sites may help meet local housing needs, but settlement hierarchy, school capacity, public transport, highway safety and landscape containment are central to the assessment.
Partial farm promotion, building conversion, rural employment, renewable energy and diversification can be considered while protecting access, drainage, tenancies and the operation of the retained holding.
A higher headline use is not necessarily the most valuable route once planning risk, affordable housing, infrastructure, abnormal costs, timing and the proportion of net developable land are taken into account.
An initial assessment does not require a complete planning file. Basic ownership and location information is usually enough to identify the key questions and advise whether further work is justified.
A title plan or clear red-line plan, details of any joint owners, tenancies, options, covenants, access rights, ransom strips and land that must remain in agricultural or business use.
Any Call for Sites, SHELAA, Local Plan, Regulation 19 or planning-application references, together with correspondence from the Council, developers or promoters.
The proposed vehicular route, frontage control, public rights of way, bus stops, stations, walking and cycling links, known junction issues and any highway advice already obtained.
Flood maps, drainage reports, sewer and utility information, ecology, trees, landscape, heritage, ground conditions and evidence of former uses.
Any concept plan, estimated dwelling or floorspace capacity, preferred timescale, retained rights, minimum-price expectations and whether the landowner wants to promote, option or sell.
Live Planning Opportunities
Search our live planning pages to identify current opportunities for promoting land through the planning system. You can find open Call for Sites exercises, monitor the progress of emerging and reviewed Local Plans and identify current HELAA and SHLAA assessments being undertaken by local councils. These resources can help landowners understand when councils are seeking new development sites, where future growth may be planned and when land can be submitted for consideration for housing, employment or mixed-use development.
Search for open Call for Sites exercises and identify councils currently inviting land submissions.
Search Open OpportunitiesMonitor emerging and reviewed Local Plans and understand where future growth may be directed.
Track Local PlansIdentify current HELAA and SHLAA assessments being undertaken by local planning authorities.
View Land AssessmentsAugust 2026 National Policy
The final National Planning Policy Framework took effect for decision-making on 17 August 2026. It changes the national route used to assess development opportunities in Blaby District, but it does not replace the need for a site-specific review of local policy, access, constraints, infrastructure and deliverability.
Policy S3 now directs proposals within a settlement to policy S4 and proposals outside a settlement to policy S5. For land in Blaby District, the adopted policies map, any defined settlement boundary and the precise position of the whole site should therefore be checked before drawing conclusions from nearby development.
Policy L2 gives substantial weight to the benefits of remediating degraded or contaminated land and making better use of vacant, underused and previously developed land. That support is important, but it does not remove access, design, flood-risk, ecology, heritage, amenity or infrastructure requirements.
Grey belt is now defined as previously developed Green Belt land and/or other Green Belt land that does not strongly contribute to purposes A, B or D. Protected landscapes, habitats, heritage and flood risk are separate policy tests. Development must follow the applicable GB7 route and, for relevant major housing, the GB8 Golden Rules.
A five-year housing land supply shortfall or Housing Delivery Test result below 75% can evidence unmet housing need for policy S5(1)(j). That route is location-specific, requires the site to be physically well-related to a settlement and appropriately scaled for infrastructure, and does not itself apply as the development route within the Green Belt.
The new framework can alter the probability and route of obtaining planning permission in Blaby District; it does not automatically convert land to residential development value. A valuation should reflect the evidence, likely timescale, policy contributions, net developable area and remaining planning risk.
Read the National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August 2026.
These guides explain the planning, valuation and commercial issues most relevant to landowners around Leicester, Blaby District and wider Leicestershire.
Compare development-land considerations across the county and the different local planning authority areas.
Click hereReview land value, regeneration and development opportunities within Leicester City and its immediate urban area.
Click hereUnderstand planning and valuation issues immediately west of Blaby District, including cross-boundary growth corridors.
Click hereLearn how national and local policy, allocations and planning balance considerations influence development land.
Click hereReview access, location, policy, environmental and deliverability factors before investing in promotion.
Click hereFind out how sites are assessed and promoted through Local Plan preparation, consultation and examination.
Click hereUnderstand visibility, junction capacity, sustainable transport and highway evidence for development sites.
Click hereSee how consent, affordable housing, infrastructure and abnormal costs influence the price a developer can pay.
Click hereCompare promotion, option, conditional sale and open-market routes for development land.
Click hereLand is assessed against the most realistic policy and market route, not simply its current use or the highest theoretical headline value.
Large agricultural or edge-of-settlement parcels requiring allocation, masterplanning, infrastructure and coordinated ownership.
Housing and mixed-use opportunities adjoining Leicester, established villages or committed development.
Industrial, logistics, office, retail and service sites near strategic transport and established business locations.
Former commercial premises, redundant buildings, underused plots and smaller urban opportunities.
Farmland, paddocks and rural business sites considered for diversification, conversion or longer-term promotion.
Use our Land Assessment Tool to assess the development potential of your land. A low score does not necessarily mean your land cannot obtain planning permission. We always recommend that a full detailed assessment is undertaken by us.
Start answering the questions to discover your land’s development potential.
This tool provides an indicative assessment only. For a more accurate and detailed assessment, we recommend that a full professional appraisal is undertaken by our experts.
Our experts can provide a more detailed assessment and help unlock the full value of your land.
At Value My Land, we help Blaby District landowners understand whether their land may have development potential.
If you would like a free, no-obligation assessment of your land, simply send us the location of your site and we will carry out a high-level review of its development potential. We aim to make the process as straightforward as possible, so you do not need to provide detailed plans or technical information at this stage. Simply let us know where the land is located using one of the following:
The adopted Core Strategy and Delivery DPD remain the statutory development plan. The Proposed Submission Local Plan was published on 8 July 2026 and, following an extension, Regulation 19 representations can be submitted until 12 noon on 7 September 2026. The plan is intended to guide development to 2042, subject to examination and any modifications.
The proposed strategic locations create opportunities and constraints. Nearby land may be needed for access, landscape, drainage, schools, utilities or later phases, but proximity does not itself create development value. The policy boundary, masterplan role, ownership and infrastructure relationship must be assessed.
Yes, but representations should explain why the submitted plan is legally compliant or sound and why a change is necessary. A credible alternative needs evidence on suitability, availability, achievability, sustainability and the effect on the plan strategy. Read our Local Plan Allocation Guide.
No. Strategic roads can improve market access, but motorway noise, air quality, congestion, junction capacity and the need for expensive mitigation may reduce value. Sustainable access to services and public transport remains important.
Potentially. The settlement hierarchy, local services, school and highway capacity, landscape, drainage and the scale of development all matter. A well-contained smaller site may have a different route from a major strategic extension.
The appraisal considers permitted use, occupier demand, plot ratio, HGV access, servicing, utilities, build costs, competing supply and planning obligations. Residential values should not be applied where the realistic market is employment or commercial use. Read our employment-land guide.
Yes. A developer or promoter may acquire or control land before consent, but the agreement must reflect planning risk, deductions, minimum price, timing and retained rights. Competitive marketing after planning progress will often produce stronger evidence of market value.
A postcode, title plan, map pin or what3words reference is enough to begin. Include any access information, planning history, Local Plan reference, survey, tenancy or developer approach already available.
If you own land in Blaby District and would like to understand its potential development value, we can help. Our team will undertake an initial review of your site and provide an honest assessment of its prospects.
Whether you own agricultural land, Green Belt land, paddocks or larger strategic holdings, understanding your options is the first step towards unlocking value.
Request your FREE, no-obligation land assessment today and discover whether your land could have development potential.
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