What is Development?
Development is a well-used term, and widely understood to represent the creation of new or repurposed buildings, which can be residential dwellings, retirement homes and care facilities, office space, industrial, retail, leisure, and every use imaginable. The broad nature of the term can make it difficult to understand how development happens on any given site or piece of land.
How does development happen – efficiently, equitably, and sustainably?
If you own land or property that has development potential it can be difficult to know how to proceed, who to consult, how and when to sell. The profession that seeks to answer these questions for you is that of the Development Consultant and Agent – often referred to simply as a Development Agent. The profession is regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and those qualified to act in this specialist capacity should use the professional designation ‘RICS’ and adhere to the regulations laid down by the RICS.
Obtaining or having permission is therefore critical; however planning is only part of the puzzle, and obtaining the ‘right’ permission is a key challenge. The ultimate goal of the land or property owner – for example maximising the value of the site – is critical to understand and take into account.
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In the UK development is controlled by planning laws and policies, some set by central government, and some set on a local level.
In essence, in order to develop land or property (including modest alterations to individual houses), you must have or obtain permission to do so – whether that be permitted development under existing planning policies which usually still require formal approval, or a specific application submitted to and approved by the local planning authority.
Planning consultants, architects, developers, construction companies, and of course development agents can all input into what the ‘right’ permission is, and critically it is the development agent who is most aligned to the landowner and has the broadest perspective on what ‘right’ is for each landowner and each property.
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Once landowner aspirations are established and a planning objective identified, navigating the planning system is the next step on the development journey.
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The planning process can be ferociously complicated, and often unpredictable, and for this reason most often the planning process is undertaken by specialist planning consultants, housebuilders and developers, land promoters, or a combination of experienced professionals.
Once planning is achieved there are many more processes to undertake before construction can begin, and most often landowners wish to dispose of the land or property before development commences.
Each project is different, and each landowner will have different levels of experience, different aspirations, and different resources available, and so there is no one solution to fit all. Instead, the skill of the Development Agent is to establish the right strategy for each project.
The Development Agent will work with the landowner to ensure that the land or property has is has the ‘right’ allocation or permission to meet the Landowner’s objectives.
Issues such as any land collaboration, access rights, or legal constraints are mitigated, and any additional value-adding works are undertaken – for example ground condition surveys or planning reports. The development opportunity is then professionally ‘packaged’ and presented to the development market to secure the best possible deal for the landowner. The Development Agent sees the process through to completion, and beyond if any uplifts or overages are agreed.
What land can be developed?
Almost all land will have development potential; the questions being to what extent, and in what timeframe. Some land will be unsuitable for all but very conservative agricultural or rural management modifications, and some sites would be suitable for almost any use.
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However, most often land is assessed for suitability for new residential development, changing of use to residential dwellings, or commercial offices, warehousing, or leisure uses. In these instances land most suitable would include previously developed land, land already identified by the local planning authority, or land neighbouring existing settlements or key infrastructure. Each piece of land, however, has unique circumstances and characteristics that will affect the ‘developability’.
Contact Hambleden for a free, no-obligation discussion about how to bring your land forward for development. Email us on enquiries@hambleden.co.uk or call George Newcombe on 01491 714 071