Supporting councils through every stage of the real estate lifecycle

Local authorities are under growing pressure to deliver homes and regeneration. Mandatory housing targets remain in force, and councils are required to adopt Local Plans within a 30-month timetable. For many, that means bringing their own land and town centre schemes forward while meeting strict procurement, valuation and funding requirements.

Each stage of a public sector development tests the scheme in a different way. A master plan has to be viable, the procurement route has to stand up to scrutiny and the business case has to satisfy funders. When one adviser covers every stage, a decision made early is less likely to cause problems later.

Master planning and viability

For Portsmouth City Council, the work covered a review of the master plan, a development viability assessment and advice on compulsory purchase. Testing viability at the planning stage gives a council a realistic basis for decisions on land assembly, including whether compulsory purchase powers are needed.

Procurement and valuation

Reading's Minster Quarter is a £250m mixed-use scheme on the former Civic Centre site, led by residential development. Alongside the master plan, the council needed procurement advice and a Red Book valuation to support its decisions. The council also secured £2m from the government's Brownfield Land Release Fund to prepare the site for the first phase.

Co-ordination and delivery

At Lincoln City Council, the work ran from co-ordinating the master plan and viability advice through to a land sale agreement with Linden Homes. The team also provided programme management. That continuity matters when the terms agreed at the land sale depend on assumptions made years earlier in the master plan.

Business cases and funding

For Cambridgeshire County Council, the work covered master planning for a hospital campus and a business case for a £20m project. The team also advised on a new extra care housing scheme, and on land acquisition and leases. Public funding for projects like this typically requires a business case prepared in line with HM Treasury's Green Book, which sets out how public spending decisions should be appraised.

How we can help

Our Land, Planning and Development team works with local authorities and public bodies across the whole property lifecycle. We advise on master planning, development viability, public procurement, Red Book valuation, Green Book business cases, financial modelling, and public and private property companies. To discuss a scheme, contact the team.