Policy & Land Promotion

For those individuals less familiar with the process, developing large sites (referred to as Major or Strategic sites by planners), for either residential or employment uses normally requires the land to be allocated for that purpose in the Development Plan (or Local Plan). Normally, the increase in value of the land is substantial, and can be life changing for the land owner and their family.

Active involvement in the Development Plan process at the earliest stage is crucial, ensuring the protection of your interests and the promotion of your assets, whether you’re a landowner, developer, or have other interests in land.

The steps normally involved through a land promotion program include:

• Land Appraisals – to check the suitability for Land Promotions
• Planning Strategy – to determine the best approach to securing a development. For example, this may include a twin track approach of submitting a planning application alongside progressing site promotions
• Estate Development Strategies – to provide short, medium and long term strategy for the site to realise cash funds from land based assets early (if the entire site is not being promoted)
• Advice on Concept Design and Masterplanning – working alongside urban designers or architects to help steer the design process and produce a Vision Document, to help understand what could be achieved and sell the value of the site to the local authority
• Engagement Strategy – we can help to provide a strategy for consulting with the Local Authority, stakeholders, the local community and local politicians seeking support for your proposals
• Call For Sites submissions to Local Authority Local Plan Reviews – formally presenting your site to the Local Authority in the form of a valid and robust submission
• Draft Local Plan Consultation responses (Regulations 18 and 19) – to promote the merits of your site over other responses, and to challenge the evidence base of the Local Authority where necessary
• Hearing Statement for the Examination in Public (EiP) – responding to the Inspectors matters, issues and questions to enable a focused discussion at the EiP
• Professional Witness representation at Examination in Public (EiP) – to present evidence in from of a Local Plan Inspector, to promote your interests, whether your site is a proposed allocation, or an omission site, and comment on the soundness and legal compliance of the draft Local Plan
• Post EiP representations and Consultation Responses – there is often the need for modifications to a Local Plan before it can be adopted (referred to as ‘Main Modifications’), enabling further targeted representations to be made to further promote the site. We would provide detailed advice once the Inspectors Report is published

Tailored towards housebuilders and developers, we also offer a Site Identification service. Using our in-house expertise, research capabilities and local knowledge, we can provide the following packages:

• Phase 1: Identifying broad search locations, providing information about high level constraints and Local Authority intelligence
• Phase 2: Detailed settlement studies identifying the best sites in given locations that can accommodate growth, or customised towards your niche target sites (size/use/GDV)