How We Assess Land for Promotion
The planning, technical and commercial tests we apply before committing our capital and team
Strategic Land Company does not assess land by acreage alone. Before we enter into a Promotion Agreement, we consider whether the site has a realistic planning route, whether a deliverable residential scheme can be formed and whether the likely outcome justifies the time, cost and risk involved.
Our assessment is designed to decide whether we can responsibly commit our own capital and professional team. It is different from a general online suitability check or an indicative land valuation.
Request a Free Site Review
Send us the location and approximate boundary. We will consider whether the land merits a more detailed promotion assessment.
Initial Screening and Detailed Promotion Assessment
Assessment normally takes place in stages. The initial screening uses readily available information to identify obvious opportunities and constraints. It helps us decide whether further work is proportionate and what questions need to be answered.
A detailed promotion assessment is undertaken where the site appears to warrant closer investigation. This may involve planning research, ownership and access enquiries, preliminary technical input, concept testing and commercial appraisal. The depth of work depends on the scale, planning route and risk profile of the land.
Passing an initial screen does not guarantee that Strategic Land Company will offer promotion terms. Equally, the presence of a constraint does not automatically prevent promotion. The key issue is whether the constraint can be properly understood, mitigated and reflected in a deliverable strategy.
Location, Settlement Relationship and Sustainability
We first examine where the land sits in relation to existing settlements, services, employment, schools, public transport and the highway network. Land adjoining or closely related to a settlement may offer a more coherent growth opportunity than an isolated parcel, but proximity alone is not decisive.
We consider whether residents could access day-to-day facilities, whether the site can connect to existing walking and cycling routes and whether development would form a logical extension rather than an unrelated enclave. The character of the settlement, its role in the local hierarchy and its capacity to accommodate growth are also relevant.
For larger strategic sites, the assessment extends to infrastructure, community facilities, phasing and the ability to create a sustainable neighbourhood. A site may need to provide its own facilities or contribute to wider improvements, which can affect land take, delivery and value.
Planning Policy and the Route to Permission
The adopted development plan, emerging Local Plan and national planning framework provide the starting point. We review the site's current designation, settlement boundary, Green Belt or countryside status, allocation history, previous HELAA or SHLAA findings and any relevant council evidence.
We then identify the possible route. The site may need to be promoted through a Call for Sites and Local Plan process, or there may be a basis for a planning application supported by the adopted policy framework and other material considerations. The route influences both timing and the level of evidence required.
We also consider competing sites, the council's growth strategy, housing and employment requirements, infrastructure priorities and whether the authority has previously raised concerns that can be addressed. A realistic strategy must respond to the actual reasons a site has not progressed, rather than simply repeating an earlier submission.
Ownership, Availability and Legal Control
Planning potential has limited commercial value unless the land can be made available and delivered. We therefore establish who owns the site, whether all necessary owners are willing to participate and whether any tenancies, restrictive covenants, options, overage arrangements or third-party rights may affect promotion or sale.
Access is examined both physically and legally. A visible route to the highway is not enough if the landowner does not control the required land or rights. We consider whether visibility splays, junction works, drainage connections or pedestrian links extend beyond the title and whether agreements with third parties may be needed.
Where multiple ownerships are involved, we assess whether the parcels can be promoted together and whether the parties' objectives can be aligned. A clear ownership strategy at the outset can prevent planning work being undermined by a later inability to deliver the complete scheme.
Site Shape, Capacity and a Coherent Development Form
Gross acreage does not equal developable acreage. Boundaries, topography, landscape buffers, drainage areas, access corridors, retained vegetation, utilities, ecological features and infrastructure can all reduce the land available for homes.
We test whether the remaining area can form a coherent layout with suitable streets, open space, drainage, landscape structure and connections. For smaller sites, awkward shape or a single constraint can have a disproportionate effect. For larger sites, the issue may be whether development can be phased and supported by infrastructure.
An early concept or capacity exercise is not a final masterplan. Its purpose is to test whether the planning and commercial assumptions are realistic and to identify the surveys or design work needed next.
Access, Highways and Movement
A safe, suitable and deliverable access is fundamental. We examine available frontage, road width, speed environment, visibility, junction form, pedestrian provision, public transport and the potential effect on the local network.
We consider whether one access is sufficient, whether emergency or secondary connections may be required and whether the site can provide attractive routes for walking and cycling. For larger schemes, junction capacity and cumulative traffic effects may need early testing.
Highway constraints do not always prevent development, but solutions must be achievable within land under control or through realistic third-party arrangements. The cost and land take associated with improvements are included in the commercial review.
Flood Risk, Drainage and Water Management
We review flood-zone information, surface-water mapping, watercourses, topography and the likely drainage outfall. The aim is to understand both planning risk and the amount of land that may be required for sustainable drainage.
A site in a lower flood-risk area can still face significant surface-water or drainage constraints. Conversely, the presence of mapped risk may require a more detailed sequential, design and mitigation response rather than an immediate conclusion that the whole site is unsuitable.
We consider whether foul and surface-water solutions are technically feasible, whether third-party land or consents may be needed and how drainage infrastructure affects capacity, phasing and cost.
Landscape, Ecology, Heritage and Environmental Constraints
We screen landscape designations, settlement-edge character, views, trees, hedgerows, habitats, protected sites, heritage assets and archaeological potential. These factors influence whether development can be accommodated sensitively and how the site should be structured.
The assessment is not limited to identifying constraints. We consider whether existing features can form part of a defensible landscape framework, biodiversity strategy, green infrastructure network or scheme identity. Early recognition of important features can improve both the planning case and the quality of the eventual proposal.
Survey timing matters. Some ecological evidence can only be collected in particular seasons, while landscape and heritage work may need to inform the masterplan before capacity is fixed. We factor those dependencies into the promotion programme.
Utilities, Ground Conditions and Infrastructure
We consider the likely availability of electricity, water, foul drainage, telecommunications and other infrastructure, together with known easements, pipelines or overhead lines. Capacity constraints or reinforcement requirements can affect programme and viability.
Ground stability, contamination, mining legacy, landfill, made ground and previous industrial uses may require investigation. The presence of an issue does not necessarily prevent development, but the remediation method and cost need to be understood.
For strategic sites, we also review schools, healthcare, transport, open space and community infrastructure. Requirements must be planned alongside housing delivery so that the site can be shown to be achievable and capable of phased implementation.
Market Demand, Viability and Proportionate Risk
Strategic Land Company invests its own capital, so the planning opportunity must also be commercially viable. We consider likely purchaser demand, housing market strength, site scale, build-out characteristics, infrastructure costs and the probable net land receipt.
The assessment is not a promise of a specific future value. Market conditions, planning obligations, technical costs and purchaser appetite can change. Instead, we test whether there is a sufficient prospect of a viable outcome to justify the anticipated promotion expenditure and duration.
We also consider concentration risk and whether the required work is proportionate to the opportunity. A technically possible scheme may still be unsuitable for promotion if the likely cost, control issues or programme make a successful commercial outcome too uncertain.
How We Reach a Promotion Decision
Our decision brings the planning, technical, legal and commercial findings together. We may conclude that:
- The site is suitable for promotion and formal terms can be discussed.
- Further information or a targeted technical review is needed before a decision.
- The site may have longer-term potential but the current planning timetable is premature.
- The opportunity depends on adjoining land, access rights or ownership coordination.
- The identified constraints or risk mean we cannot justify promotion.
Where we cannot proceed, that does not necessarily mean the land can never be developed. It means Strategic Land Company is not able to commit to the opportunity on the information and circumstances then available.
Information That Helps Us Assess Your Land
Please provide whatever is readily available. Helpful information includes the site location and approximate boundary, title plan, area, current use, ownership details, access arrangements, planning history, council submissions, technical reports and correspondence.
We also need to understand your objectives. This may include land you intend to retain, preferred timing, succession or tax considerations, existing agricultural or occupational arrangements and whether adjoining owners are involved.
You do not need to commission reports before contacting us. Uncoordinated early surveys can create unnecessary cost or answer the wrong question. We first identify the matters that are material to the promotion decision.
Reassessing Land After an Earlier Rejection
A previous HELAA, SHLAA, Call for Sites or planning decision is an important part of the evidence, but it does not automatically settle the site's future. We examine the actual reasons given, the information available at the time and whether the council's assumptions remain correct.
Some sites are discounted because access, ownership, flood risk, landscape impact or infrastructure has not been adequately demonstrated. Others are deferred because they are not needed within the plan period, because adjoining land has not been included or because the authority has applied a strategic growth preference. The response must address the particular finding rather than submit the same material again.
We consider whether new technical evidence, a revised boundary, a different access, a coordinated ownership approach or a change in policy creates a credible route forward. Where the obstacle remains fundamental, we say so. Where it can be tested, the required work and timing are incorporated into the assessment before promotion terms are offered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a minimum site size?
There is no single acreage threshold that determines suitability. Location, planning route, capacity, access, infrastructure and commercial viability are more important than gross area. Some smaller sites can be viable, while much larger parcels may be unsuitable because of policy or technical constraints.
Will Green Belt or countryside land be considered?
Potentially, but designation is a material planning issue and the route must be assessed carefully. The current and emerging policy position, settlement relationship, evidence base and site circumstances all affect whether promotion is realistic.
Do I need a planning consultant before contacting you?
No. Strategic Land Company undertakes the initial review and, where the site proceeds, appoints and manages the appropriate consultant team. Existing advice or reports can still be useful and should be shared.
Can you assess land that has previously been rejected?
Yes. We review the reasons for rejection and whether they remain valid. The appropriate response may involve correcting factual assumptions, providing new evidence, revising the boundary or waiting for a more suitable planning stage.
Will you give me a land value at the assessment stage?
We may discuss the broad commercial opportunity, but a reliable promoted-land value depends on the planning outcome, development obligations, abnormal costs and market bids. The purpose of this assessment is to decide whether the land is suitable for promotion, not to provide a generic online valuation.
How quickly will I know whether you are interested?
An initial view can often be formed from the location and boundary, but a formal promotion decision may require title information, planning research or targeted technical input. We explain what is outstanding rather than asking the landowner to commission a complete planning file.
Read Our Related Guides
These guides explain what to expect at each stage of land promotion, including how sites are assessed, how the planning and technical work is funded and managed, how landowners retain control and how promoted land is marketed following a successful planning outcome.