Finding the right site is crucial to the success of your project. Here is how to go about finding it.
1. Location, location, location
First things first – where do you want your site to be? It could be a particular region, local authority or town; it might be less about geography and more about local house prices. Perhaps you only want sites in an urban area or out in the countryside.
Being clear on exactly what you’re looking for will help focus your search and ensure you’re only identifying opportunities that will really work for you.
2. Think about your timescales for delivery
How long you’ll need to wait for planning permission depends on the planning status of the site. For some sites, existing planning policies will already allow residential development to take place and you could submit your planning application right away. In other cases, sites might not be suitable for development right now, but could have potential in the medium or long-term (often known as “strategic land”). The risks of strategic land can be higher, but the rewards often are too.
3. What size works best?
Development sites come in all shapes and sizes. Deciding whether you want to deliver a small development of exclusive homes or a large development for the mass market will help you quickly filter out sites that aren’t suitable.
4. Contact local agents
Getting in touch with property agents and surveyors who are active in your target area can be a good first step. They might already know of some sites that are available for sale, have existing clients with a site that is perfect for your needs, or be able to give you the benefit of their inside knowledge.
5. Do a “desktop” search first
While agents can be really helpful, you won’t want to limit yourself to just those sites which are already for sale. Many land owners don’t realise their sites have development potential or haven’t thought about offering them for sale so you’ll need another way to find those opportunities – desktop research can help you find them.
The exact research will depend on the type of site you’re looking for, but a good starting point is often the council’s planning policies map which identifies what sort of development is allowed where. You might also want to explore other council documents like the Brownfield Land Register or Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (known as the “SHLAA”) which can give clues as to where the council might support housing development.
If you’re looking for sites to deliver in the longer term, understanding when the council are likely to put a new local plan in place and what it might include can be important too.
Aerial photographs and maps are also really helpful resources for helping you spot potential sites that might not otherwise be obvious.
6. Go out and look!
Armed with what agents have told you and what your desktop research has revealed, there’s no substitute for going out and having a look around. For example, sites that you thought were great opportunities might turn out to be steeply sloping. Similarly, neighbouring buildings that appeared to be in several different ownerships might turn out to be all occupied by the same person.
7. Check for potential constraints
Some simple checks can help you eliminate sites where constraints will prevent development. For example, the Environment Agency’s Flood Map For Planning shows locations which are at risk of flooding. There are other free, online resources which can help you identify other issues relating to ecology, coal mining and heritage, for example.
8. Make contact with the owners
Once you’ve done your research and pulled together a long-list of sites, the final step is to make contact with the land owners. You can easily find out who owns land through the Land Registry for a nominal charge.
At Longwall Property, we can help you with all the stages in that process with a site search that is tailored to your needs. We can produce reports identifying potential development sites; make contact with land owners; and even work with your solicitor to negotiate contractual terms on your behalf.
Ready to start finding sites? Get in touch today.
Longwall Property 