In some cases, development on a particular site will be allowed by those policies and a planning application could be submitted straight away. The planning process will mainly be concerned with the detail of the development - what it looks like and how it will function - rather than considering whether the principle of development is acceptable.
Sites like this are sometimes referred to as “immediate land.”
However, that isn't usually the case. “Strategic land” refers to those sites where it isn't clear that the type of development you are proposing is appropriate on the specific site; the principle of development is not obviously acceptable. Securing planning permission for development on strategic land sites might still be possible but it is likely to be harder or take a longer.
There are two main types of strategic land, both of which involve trying to show that the principle of development is acceptable before moving on to the detail of how the development will look.
The first is to use a planning application. Often it is unclear whether the policies in the local plan would support development on a site. They might be a bit vague or perhaps the local plan isn't delivering enough development to meet needs. The policies could even be very old - local plans cover a defined period of time and it is not uncommon for one plan period to have ended before a new plan is put in place.
In this situation, it is sometimes possible to convince the council that their existing policies don't prevent the development but, on occasion, that won't be possible. If the council don't agree, you might have to resort to a planning appeal - arguing your case to a government appointed planning inspector who has the power to overrule the council.
Alternatively, you could try to convince the council to specifically identify - or “allocate” - your site for development in a new local plan. Plans cover a defined time period - usually 15 years - and so occasionally need replacing. A council might decide to replace the plan ahead of time, too, if circumstances have changed significantly - perhaps there has been a big change in national planning policy or local development need, for example.
The process of preparing a local plan is carried out through a series of formal stages. At each stage interested parties - including local residents, landowners and developers - are allowed to make formal representations to the council. That provides an opportunity to try to convince the council that your site is needed to help meet development needs.
To make your case, you will need to demonstrate that your site is suitable for development - that it is well located, with no technical obstacles to development like drainage, highways or ecological issues. This often involves preparing a suite of specialist reports and even an illustrative layout alongside a “Vision Document” summarising the site’s development credentials.
If you are successful, the new plan will allocate your site for development, confirming that the principle of development is agreed. A planning application can then be submitted focusing on the detail of how the development will look.
Deciding which is the best strategy to achieve a successful outcome and then delivering that strategy effectively is critical to the success of strategic land projects - something The Strategic Land Group is well-versed in.
As a land promotion company, we secure planning permission on strategic land sites on behalf of landowners at our cost and risk. Our return is a share in the value of the site once it is sold - so if we don’t succeed, it doesn’t cost you anything.
If you have a site that you think might be strategic land and which could benefit from our approach, get in touch today for a free, no obligation consultation.
