Property Development

Guides on brownfield sites, land, and development

• Viability Assessments: When Developers Challenge Planning Contributions - Viability assessments can reduce or eliminate affordable housing requirements. Here's how they work and why they're controversial.
• What Is a Brownfield Site? - A brownfield site is previously developed land that is available for reuse, often prioritised by planning policy for new housing.
• What Is a Greenfield Site? - What greenfield sites are, how they differ from brownfield land, and the planning challenges involved in developing them.
• Commercial to Residential Conversions: Prior Approval Guide - How to convert offices, shops and other commercial buildings to residential use through prior approval, including Class MA and other permitted development routes.
• How to Find Land for Development in the UK - Practical methods for finding development land in the UK, from land registries and auctions to planning data and local research.
• Section 106 Agreements Explained - What Section 106 agreements are, how they work, and what developers and homeowners need to know about planning obligations in the UK.
• Material Considerations in Planning Decisions - What counts as a material consideration in UK planning decisions, what does not, and how these factors influence whether your application is approved or refused.
• Agricultural Buildings and Barn Conversions: Planning Rules - The planning rules for converting agricultural buildings to homes - Class Q prior approval, full planning, and what makes a successful barn conversion.
• Self-Build Planning Permission: A Step-by-Step Guide - How to get planning permission for a self-build home in the UK - finding land, the planning process, and the Self Build Register.
• How Planning Permission Can Increase Your Property Value - How planning permission adds value to property - the premium for permitted land, extensions, loft conversions, and change of use.
• Does Planning Permission Add Value to Your Property? - How much value planning permission adds to a property, which types of permission add the most, and whether it's worth applying even if you don't plan to build.