How Much Is My Land Worth in Leicestershire?

How Much Could Development Land Be Worth in Leicestershire?

This is often the first question landowners ask. The reality is that development land values vary considerably depending on location, planning status and market conditions.

Leicestershire is a well-connected county with strong links to Leicester, Loughborough, Hinckley, Coalville, Melton Mowbray, Market Harborough, Lutterworth and Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Worcester, Birmingham, the M1, M69, A5 and A46 corridors and the wider East Midlands economy. The county includes established towns, villages, employment areas, countryside edges, riverside locations and strategic transport connections. As a result, land with genuine development potential can command significant values compared with existing agricultural, paddock, equestrian or amenity use. Agricultural land may be worth only a fraction of the value achieved by land with planning permission.

While every site is different, obtaining planning permission can dramatically increase land value.

The key is understanding whether your land has realistic development potential before making decisions about selling.

That is exactly what our free assessment aims to establish.

The latest land value estimates for Leicestershire, published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), indicate that residential development land with planning permission could be worth between £800,000 and £2 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.

Residential development land values can vary significantly across Leicestershire depending on location, planning status, density, infrastructure costs, abnormal development costs and market demand. However, land with planning permission for housing can be worth substantially more than land used for agriculture, grazing, equestrian or amenity purposes. These potential value differences highlight why it is important to obtain a professional assessment before deciding whether to sell or promote land.

Why Leicestershire is an Attractive Area for Development

Leicestershire occupies a strategically important position in the East Midlands, surrounding Leicester and linking to Nottingham, Derby, Coventry, Birmingham, Northamptonshire and Rutland. The county benefits from major road connections, established employment areas, East Midlands Airport, universities, market towns, rural communities and strong demand for well-located housing and employment land.

As demand for new homes, logistics, employment space and supporting infrastructure continues across Leicester and Leicestershire, suitable land may become increasingly important, particularly where it is well connected, deliverable and capable of being promoted through the planning system.

This creates opportunities for landowners whose land is located:

• Adjacent to existing settlements
• Close to local services and facilities
• Near public transport connections
• On the edge of villages and towns
• Within areas being considered through future planning policy reviews

Land that may appear unlikely to be developed today can become significantly more valuable if it is promoted successfully through the planning system.

We Assess Land Across Leicestershire and Nearby Areas

We review land across Leicestershire, Leicester and the surrounding East Midlands area, including edge-of-settlement sites, urban fringe land, paddocks, agricultural land, brownfield opportunities and larger strategic land holdings. We assess sites across the county’s main towns, villages and growth corridors for their potential development value.

Here Are Just Some of the Towns and Villages We Cover in and Around Leicestershire

• Leicester
• Loughborough
• Hinckley
• Coalville
• Melton Mowbray
• Market Harborough
• Lutterworth
• Ashby-de-la-Zouch
• Oadby
• Wigston
• Blaby
• Narborough
• Enderby
• Countesthorpe
• Broughton Astley
• Shepshed
• Syston
• Mountsorrel
• Barrow upon Soar
• Castle Donington
• Kegworth
• Measham
• Ibstock
• Markfield
• Desford
• Earl Shilton
• Barwell
• Kibworth
• Great Glen
• Fleckney

Land Near Leicestershire

We also assess land close to the Leicestershire boundary and throughout the wider East Midlands and Midlands area, including sites near Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Staffordshire.

Land Promotion in Leicestershire

Many landowners are unfamiliar with the land promotion process. In simple terms, land promotion involves identifying development opportunities, securing planning permission and ultimately selling the land to a developer.

Leicestershire Local Plans and Development Potential

Leicestershire does not have a single county-wide Local Plan for housing, commercial or mixed-use development. Instead, planning policy is prepared by the relevant local planning authorities across the county, including Leicester City Council, Charnwood Borough Council, Harborough District Council, Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, Melton Borough Council, North West Leicestershire District Council, Blaby District Council and Oadby and Wigston Borough Council. Each authority is responsible for preparing its own Local Plan, identifying future housing and employment land requirements, allocating development sites and establishing planning policies that guide growth within its administrative area. As a result, the progress of Local Plan reviews, site allocation exercises and planning policy updates varies across Leicestershire.

Leicester City Council adopted the Leicester Local Plan 2020–2036 in 2025, establishing the current planning framework for the city and setting out policies for housing, employment, infrastructure and regeneration. Following adoption, the Council has continued to monitor housing delivery, employment land provision and the implementation of strategic development sites, whilst assessing the implications of changes to national planning policy and future housing requirements. During 2025 and 2026, the Council has continued evidence gathering and monitoring work to inform future plan reviews and policy updates. This planning context is important for landowners because Local Plan policies, site allocations, regeneration opportunities and future evidence updates can all influence whether land may have development potential. Even where a recently adopted Local Plan is in place, opportunities can arise through future plan reviews, site assessment exercises, redevelopment proposals and updated evidence relating to housing and employment needs. Landowners should therefore continue to monitor emerging planning policy and consultation opportunities, as these may affect whether land is considered suitable for future development and potential allocation within a future Local Plan.

Charnwood Borough Council is currently preparing a new Local Plan that will guide development across the borough beyond the existing plan period. During 2025 and 2026, the Council has continued evidence gathering, site assessments and policy development work to identify how future housing, employment and infrastructure needs can be accommodated. Further consultation and plan preparation work is anticipated before the emerging Local Plan progresses through the statutory stages of preparation. This planning context is important for landowners because emerging Local Plan policies, site assessments and settlement strategies may influence whether land is considered suitable for future development. Landowners should continue to monitor consultation opportunities and site assessment exercises, as these can provide opportunities for land to be promoted for future allocation.

Harborough District Council adopted the Harborough Local Plan 2011–2031 in April 2019 and is currently preparing a new Local Plan to guide development beyond the existing plan period. During 2025 and 2026, the Council has continued evidence gathering, housing and employment land assessments and site evaluation work to inform the emerging plan. Future consultation stages will provide opportunities for landowners and developers to engage with the plan-making process. This planning context is important because future site allocations, settlement boundary reviews and housing requirements could influence whether land is considered suitable for development and included within a future Local Plan.

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council adopted its Local Plan Core Strategy and associated development plan documents under the current planning framework and is progressing work on a comprehensive new Local Plan. During 2025 and 2026, the Council has continued to review housing and employment land requirements, assess potential development sites and prepare evidence to support future consultation stages. Emerging Local Plan work will help determine where future growth is directed across the borough. Landowners should monitor future consultation opportunities as site submissions, evidence updates and policy changes may affect the development potential of land.

Melton Borough Council adopted the Melton Local Plan in October 2018, providing the current planning framework for development across the borough. Since adoption, the Council has monitored the delivery of housing, employment land and strategic infrastructure whilst considering future development requirements beyond the current plan period. During 2025 and 2026, evidence gathering and monitoring work has continued to inform future policy decisions and the timing of a Local Plan review. This planning context is important because future plan-making exercises, site assessments and evidence updates may create opportunities for land to be promoted for development.

North West Leicestershire District Council adopted the North West Leicestershire Local Plan in November 2017 and has subsequently undertaken work to review and update planning policies to reflect changing circumstances. During 2025 and 2026, the Council has continued evidence gathering, housing needs assessments and site evaluation work to support the preparation of a new Local Plan. Emerging planning policies and future consultation stages may influence where development is directed across the district. Landowners should therefore continue to monitor the Local Plan process and any future opportunities to promote land for development.

Blaby District Council adopted the Blaby Local Plan Core Strategy and is preparing a new Local Plan to guide future development across the district. During 2025 and 2026, the Council has continued to assess housing and employment needs, undertake site assessments and develop planning policies to accommodate future growth. The emerging Local Plan will establish future development requirements, site allocations and settlement strategies. This planning context is important because future policy decisions and site allocation exercises may influence whether land is considered suitable for development and included within the Local Plan.

Oadby and Wigston Borough Council adopted the Oadby and Wigston Local Plan in 2019 and has continued monitoring the delivery of development and infrastructure across the borough. During 2025 and 2026, the Council has undertaken evidence gathering and policy review work to consider future planning requirements and potential updates to the planning framework. Future Local Plan review work and consultation exercises may create opportunities for landowners to promote land for development. Landowners should therefore continue to monitor emerging planning policy and consultation opportunities across the borough.

Landowners should therefore monitor the position of the relevant local planning authority, as emerging Local Plans, settlement boundary reviews, housing needs assessments and future consultation exercises can all influence whether land may have development potential and become suitable for future allocation or development.

Local Plan reviews are particularly important for landowners because they help determine where future homes, employment land, infrastructure and growth should be directed. If your land is well located, available and capable of being delivered, it may have the potential to be promoted through the Local Plan process for future development. Submitting land through a Local Plan review is highly competitive, with councils often assessing hundreds of potential development sites. A professionally prepared submission can significantly improve the prospects of a site being positively considered.

At Value My Land, we undertake a detailed assessment of your land, identify its planning strengths and opportunities, review potential constraints, and prepare a robust evidence-based submission tailored to the council's site assessment criteria. This helps ensure that decision-makers fully understand the merits of your land, increasing the likelihood that it is shortlisted, allocated for development, or identified as a preferred growth location. While no consultant can guarantee allocation, a professionally promoted site will typically have a far stronger chance of being selected than a site submitted without supporting evidence or strategic planning input.

How it Works

Step 1 – Free Assessment

We review the location, planning context and development potential of your land.

Step 2 – Detailed Appraisal

Where appropriate, we undertake a more comprehensive assessment to understand opportunities and constraints.

Step 3 – Planning Strategy

We identify the most suitable route to securing planning permission.

Step 4 – Promotion

The land is promoted through Local Plan reviews, Call for Sites submissions and planning applications where appropriate.

Step 5 – Sale to a Developer

Once planning permission is secured, the land can be marketed to developers, often resulting in significantly higher values.