Landowner partnership
Why work with us?
We fully fund and manage the planning process on your behalf.
We take on all the risk. If we are unsuccessful in securing planning permission, all costs are written off and it won't cost you a penny.
Our interests are fully aligned with yours. As we are paid on a pre-agreed percentage of the sale proceeds, it is in our own interests to maximise the value of your land.
Our experienced team of experts will give you the best possible chance of securing planning permission.
You retain full ownership and control of your land throughout the planning process.
We will always listen to your needs and will keep you fully updated throughout the whole process.
Fully funded planning promotion
Land Promotion Specialists
We are a leading UK land promotion company, specialising in securing planning permission and maximising land value for landowners. We promote land through the planning process with a clear objective: to secure planning permission and unlock its full development potential.
We fund the entire planning process at our own cost and risk. This enables you to increase your land's value without incurring any upfront costs or taking on any risk. If planning permission is not secured, we write off all costs, ensuring there is no cost or financial risk to you.
Our fees are charged on a pre-agreed percentage of the sale proceeds and are only payable once your land is sold. All terms are agreed in advance, providing complete transparency from the outset.
As our fee is directly linked to the final sale value, we are fully committed to maximising the value of your land. Our interests are therefore fully aligned with yours.
Discuss Your Land With Us
From initial review to completion
How We Promote Land on Your Behalf
Land promotion is a coordinated planning, technical and commercial process rather than a single planning application. We provide one point of responsibility throughout: assessing the opportunity, agreeing the strategy, appointing and managing the consultant team, funding the agreed work and overseeing the promotion through to the competitive sale of the land.
Stage one
Initial Land Assessment
We begin by identifying the land and reviewing its location, ownership, relationship with nearby settlements, adopted and emerging planning policy, access arrangements, surrounding development and known technical or environmental constraints. This initial assessment helps establish whether the site appears to have realistic development potential and whether a detailed promotion strategy should be considered.
Stage two
Promotion Agreement and Landowner Instructions
If the landowner and Strategic Land Company decide to proceed, the agreed arrangement is recorded in a Promotion Agreement. The agreement sets out the promotion period, objectives, planning expenditure, reporting and decision-making arrangements, landowner protections, sale process and our fee. The landowner normally retains ownership of the land throughout the promotion.
Stage three
Planning and Promotion Strategy
We agree the most appropriate route through the planning system for the individual site. Depending on the planning position, this may involve a Call for Sites submission, Local Plan promotion, HELAA or SHLAA representations, engagement with the local planning authority, an outline planning application or another evidence-led planning strategy. The approach is kept under review as policy and local circumstances change.
Stage four
Consultant Team, Technical Evidence and Masterplanning
We select, appoint, brief and manage the professional advisers required for the site. The work may include planning, highways, flood risk, drainage, ecology, landscape, heritage, arboriculture, ground conditions, utilities, viability and design. Where appropriate, a concept layout or masterplan is prepared to demonstrate how development could respond to the site's opportunities and constraints.
Stage five
Promotion Through the Planning System
We coordinate the evidence, prepare and submit the necessary representations or planning application, engage with the council and statutory consultees, respond to consultation and negotiate the proposal. If an application is refused, we review the decision before considering further evidence, a revised application or, where justified, a planning appeal. The landowner is kept informed of progress and important decisions throughout.
Stage six
Planning Success, Competitive Marketing and Sale
Where an acceptable planning permission or other agreed planning outcome is secured, we prepare the land for the market and manage the competitive sale process in accordance with the Promotion Agreement. Offers are assessed by reference to price, conditions, timing and purchaser deliverability before the preferred buyer is agreed with the landowner. Our pre-agreed fee becomes payable from the sale proceeds when the transaction completes.
Strategic Land Company explained
One Team Managing the Entire Promotion
Watch our introductory video to see how we work with landowners, or download our brochure for a concise explanation of our fully funded approach to residential land promotion.
Download Our Brochure
A coordinated professional team
The Planning and Technical Work We Manage
Every promotion requires a tailored evidence base. We select, brief, fund and coordinate the advisers needed for the site, bringing planning strategy, technical surveys, design and council engagement into one managed programme. The precise scope is agreed for each landholding and developed as the planning strategy progresses.
Planning Strategy and Policy
We review adopted and emerging policy, housing requirements, settlement strategy, Green Belt and other designations, relevant planning decisions and the evidence needed to support the preferred route for the site.
Local Plan and Site Promotion
We prepare and coordinate Calls for Sites, HELAA or SHLAA submissions, consultation representations and engagement with the local planning authority, keeping the site's case up to date as the Local Plan progresses.
Access and Highways
We assess access options and appoint highways specialists to consider visibility, road width, junction capacity, pedestrian and cycle connections, traffic effects and any third-party land or rights needed to deliver the access.
Flood Risk and Drainage
We coordinate flood-risk, surface-water and drainage work, including sustainable drainage principles, discharge arrangements and the evidence needed to demonstrate that the site can be safely and practically drained.
Ecology, Trees and Biodiversity
We commission proportionate habitat, protected-species, tree and hedgerow work and coordinate mitigation, enhancement and biodiversity net gain proposals with the developing masterplan.
Landscape, Heritage and Design
We manage landscape, visual, townscape, heritage and archaeological assessments so the layout, open space and development edges respond properly to the site and its surroundings.
Utilities, Ground and Infrastructure
We investigate utility capacity, foul drainage, electricity, water, ground conditions, contamination and wider infrastructure requirements that may affect the design, cost or deliverability of development.
Masterplanning, Applications and Appeals
We coordinate concept plans, planning applications, supporting statements, technical documents and negotiations. Where justified, we also manage revised submissions or a planning appeal.
A Promotion Agreement Built Around the Landowner
We work with landowners under a Promotion Agreement, which sets out how the land will be promoted, the work we will undertake, how the agreed planning costs will be funded and how the land will be marketed following planning success.
The agreement provides a clear framework for the promotion while the landowner normally retains ownership of the land. The precise terms, responsibilities, protections and commercial arrangements are agreed before the promotion begins.
You Retain Ownership
The landowner normally retains legal ownership throughout the promotion process. Strategic Land Company is appointed to pursue the agreed planning and sale strategy rather than acquiring the land at the outset.
The Strategy Is Agreed
The Promotion Agreement records the objectives, promotion period, anticipated work and the responsibilities of both parties. The strategy can be reviewed as the planning position develops.
We Fund the Agreed Work
Strategic Land Company funds the planning and technical expenditure agreed under the Promotion Agreement. If the promotion is unsuccessful, the agreed funded costs are normally written off in accordance with the agreement.
You Are Kept Informed
We report on progress, important planning developments, expenditure and significant decisions throughout the promotion. The precise consultation and approval arrangements depend on the negotiated agreement.
The Land Is Competitively Marketed
Where an acceptable planning position is secured, the land is normally offered to the market competitively so developer interest can be tested and the available offers properly compared.
Our Fee Is Linked to the Outcome
Our fee is agreed in advance and is normally calculated as a percentage of the eventual sale proceeds. This aligns our commercial objective with the landowner's objective of achieving the strongest overall result.
Clear Terms From the Outset
The promotion period, proposed work, expenditure, reporting arrangements, sale process and fee structure are documented in the Promotion Agreement before the formal promotion begins. The exact terms depend on the land and the agreement negotiated between the parties.
Maximising the final outcome
From Planning Success to Competitive Sale
Securing planning permission is not the end of the promotion process. The next objective is to present the land properly to the development market, create genuine competition between suitable purchasers and identify the offer that provides the strongest overall outcome for the landowner.
Strategic Land Company coordinates the agreed marketing and sale process, working with the landowner and their professional advisers from the preparation of the sales information through to the selection of the preferred purchaser and completion of the transaction.
The commercial objective
The objective is not simply to secure planning permission. It is to secure the right planning outcome and then create genuine competition for the land.
How the Competitive Sale Process Is Managed
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Preparing the Land for Market
We assemble the planning permission, approved plans, technical reports, title information and other material a purchaser will need. Presenting the opportunity clearly from the outset helps reduce uncertainty, focus enquiries and prepare the land for an efficient competitive marketing exercise.
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Approaching Suitable Developers
We identify and approach housebuilders, developers and other credible purchasers whose experience, funding and development requirements are relevant to the site. This places the opportunity before parties with a realistic interest and the ability to progress a purchase.
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Creating Genuine Competition
Prospective purchasers receive the same core sales information and are invited to submit offers against clear requirements and a defined timetable. This creates genuine market competition and avoids relying on a single unsolicited proposal that has not been properly tested.
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Comparing Offers Properly
Every offer is assessed as a complete commercial proposal. We compare price, conditions, funding, deferred payments, overage, due diligence, timescale and purchaser credibility so the landowner can understand which bid provides the strongest balance of value and certainty.
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Selecting the Preferred Purchaser
We report each offer to the landowner, explain the principal commercial differences and identify any points requiring clarification, negotiation or further evidence. The preferred purchaser is then selected in accordance with the Promotion Agreement and the agreed sale strategy.
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Managing Exchange and Completion
We continue coordinating the transaction with the landowner, purchaser, solicitors, agents and technical advisers. We help answer planning and site enquiries, monitor agreed milestones, maintain momentum and support the process through due diligence, exchange of contracts and final completion.
Planning Creates the Opportunity. Competition Tests the Market.
A properly managed sale process allows the landowner to compare the price, conditions, certainty and deliverability of competing offers before a preferred purchaser is selected.
Landowner questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Where possible, we will provide you with an estimate of what your land could be worth with planning permission. The average price for an acre of land in England is £11,000.00. In contrast, an acre of land with planning permission could be worth as much as £3m. The exact value will depend on the location of the land, the number of houses permitted to be built, market conditions and infrastructure costs.
Our fees are based on a pre-agreed share of the sale proceeds (typically 15%-20%). Our agreed fees and costs only become payable once your land is sold with the benefit of planning permission. Following the sale of your land, the sale proceeds are applied in the following order (i) repayment of third-party costs (surveys, specialist consultants and planning fees). All costs are agreed with you before they are incurred (ii) payment of our agreed fees (iii) the balance is then paid to you.
Strategic Land Company funds and manages the entire planning process on your behalf, at our own cost and risk. If we are unsuccessful, our costs are written off.
We review the decision and the reasons for refusal before deciding what should happen next. The appropriate response may be to revise the proposal, prepare further technical evidence, submit a new application or pursue a planning appeal. A refusal does not automatically mean an appeal is appropriate. The prospects, evidence, timing and costs must be assessed against the circumstances of the site.
We work with landowners under a Promotion Agreement, which is essentially a partnership arrangement where we work together to secure planning permission and maximise the value of the land. The agreement enables the landowner to have access to our experience, expertise and financial resources to obtain planning permission. The Promotion Agreement will fully set out the likely timescales involved, the extent of the works we agree to undertake and details of our agreed fees. The agreement is typically entered into prior to the submission of a planning application.
A Promotion Agreement can give the landowner access to planning expertise, specialist consultants and promotion funding without having to manage the process or meet the planning costs upfront.
Unlike an option structure under which a developer may acquire the land itself, promoted land is normally marketed competitively after planning permission. The precise protections and sale requirements depend on the negotiated agreement.
A land promoter assesses development potential, prepares the planning strategy, appoints and manages consultants, commissions evidence, engages with the council, promotes the site through the Local Plan where necessary and submits planning applications or appeals.
If an acceptable planning permission is secured, the promoter also manages the agreed marketing and sale process.
The appropriate route depends on the planning policy and technical position. The principal routes may include:
- Local Plan promotion: seeking assessment and allocation of the land through the council's plan-making process.
- A planning application: submitting a proposal where the development can be supported under the adopted policy framework or other material planning circumstances.
- A planning appeal: challenging a refusal or non-determination where the evidence and planning balance justify doing so.
An initial planning and technical review is required before deciding which route is proportionate and realistic.
Types of Land We Consider for Promotion
Residential development opportunities can arise from many different types of land. Existing use alone does not determine whether a site may be suitable for promotion. Its location, planning context, access, relationship with the surrounding settlement and technical deliverability must all be considered.
We assess every site individually before deciding whether a funded promotion strategy is realistic and commercially appropriate. The land types below are common starting points, but each opportunity is tested on its own planning, technical and commercial merits.
Agricultural and Farmland
Agricultural land close to an existing town or village may have longer-term residential development potential. We consider its relationship with the settlement, planning policy, access, landscape, agricultural quality, infrastructure and the technical work required before deciding whether promotion is realistic.
Paddocks and Equestrian Land
Paddocks and equestrian land are often located around settlement edges. Their current use does not prevent residential promotion, but access, adjoining development, landscape character, ownership boundaries and the relationship with nearby homes, services and infrastructure all require careful assessment.
Settlement-Edge and Greenfield Land
Land adjoining or closely related to an established settlement can sometimes provide a logical opportunity for residential growth. The strength of that opportunity depends on planning policy, sustainability, access, infrastructure, environmental constraints and whether a coherent and deliverable development can be created.
Green Belt and Potential Grey Belt Land
Green Belt designation requires a detailed policy assessment and does not mean every site has the same planning prospects. We examine the land's contribution to Green Belt purposes, its surroundings, accessibility, potential Grey Belt considerations and the wider planning balance.
Brownfield and Redevelopment Sites
Previously developed land may offer opportunities for residential or mixed-use redevelopment, particularly where the existing use is no longer viable or compatible with surrounding development. Contamination, demolition, access, utilities, neighbouring uses and overall viability may all influence the strategy.
Larger Strategic Landholdings
Larger sites can support new homes together with open space, highways, drainage and community infrastructure. They usually require a longer-term strategy involving Local Plan promotion, extensive technical evidence, masterplanning and coordination with councils, adjoining landowners and infrastructure providers.
The type of land provides the starting point. Its planning context and deliverability determine whether promotion is realistic.
Development potential
What Makes Land Strategic?
Strategic land is land that may have potential for future development. That potential depends on more than its current use or size.
Location and planning context
Land close to settlements, services, public transport and existing infrastructure may be more sustainable, but the adopted and emerging planning policies still need to be considered carefully.
Access and highways
A suitable and legally deliverable access is fundamental. Highway width, visibility, junction capacity, pedestrian connections and third-party rights can materially affect the opportunity.
Ground and technical conditions
Contamination, ground stability, flood risk, drainage, ecology, landscape, heritage, utilities and other constraints may influence the developable area, cost and planning strategy.
Shape, scale and deliverability
The site's boundaries, relationship with neighbouring land, infrastructure requirements and ability to accommodate a coherent scheme can all affect whether promotion is viable.
Local planning and valuation
Local Land Valuation Guides
Explore our location-specific guides to the planning context, development potential and factors that may affect land value across the Midlands and surrounding areas. Every parcel of land is assessed individually.
Planning routes and project delivery
Land Promotion Experience in Practice
Every land promotion project presents a different combination of planning, technical and commercial issues. Our role is to establish the most appropriate route, coordinate the professional team, manage the evidence and keep the strategy under review as the planning position develops.
The examples below describe the principal project pathways we manage. They are presented without naming individual landowners or sites, reflecting the confidentiality that often applies to strategic land promotion.
Local Plan promotion
Promoting Settlement-Edge Land Through the Local Plan
The challenge
Land outside an adopted settlement boundary may need to demonstrate why it is suitable, available and deliverable before a planning application becomes realistic. The evidence must respond to the council's assessment criteria and address the site's relationship with the settlement and known constraints.
Our role
We review the policy position, prepare Call for Sites and land-availability submissions, coordinate proportionate technical evidence and make representations as the Local Plan progresses. The strategy is updated in response to new evidence, consultation findings and changes in national or local policy.
Planning application
Coordinating a Planning Application and Technical Evidence
The challenge
A planning application must bring the planning case, masterplan and technical evidence together into one coherent proposal. Access, drainage, ecology, landscape, heritage, infrastructure and development viability may all influence the scale, layout and deliverability of the scheme.
Our role
We appoint and brief the consultant team, coordinate surveys and reports, manage the design process and oversee submission of the application. We respond to consultee comments, organise further evidence where required and negotiate changes that may improve the prospects of an acceptable decision.
Strategy review
Responding to Refusal or an Unfavourable Site Assessment
The challenge
A refusal or unfavourable site assessment does not always end the opportunity, but the reasons must be examined objectively. Some issues can be addressed through revised design or further evidence, while others may require a different planning route or a longer-term strategy.
Our role
We audit the decision and evidence base, identify the matters that genuinely need to be resolved and advise whether to revise, reapply, make further Local Plan representations or pursue an appeal. The next step is chosen by reference to prospects, timing, cost and proportionality.
Competitive sale
Moving From Planning Success to Developer Sale
The challenge
Planning success creates the opportunity, but it does not automatically establish the strongest commercial result. Purchaser offers can differ substantially in price, conditions, timescale, deferred payments, funding, due diligence requirements and the certainty that the transaction will complete.
Our role
We prepare the planning and technical sales information, approach suitable developers, create a competitive bidding process and compare the offers as complete commercial proposals. We then coordinate the preferred bid with the landowner and professional advisers through due diligence, exchange and completion.
Different Sites Require Different Strategies
The common thread is a planning-led approach, proportionate technical evidence, clear project management and regular communication with the landowner from the initial assessment through to the agreed commercial outcome.