A practical source directory for land sourcing, ownership, planning, constraints, market evidence, development costs, viability and exit analysis.
These are the first places to look for most property and land investigations.
Land sourcing, ownership, planning, constraints, development opportunities, land values and comparable data.
Legal ownership, title, tenure, charges, restrictions, easements and title plans.
Current asking prices, competing stock, reductions, photos, floorplans, property characteristics and rental evidence.
Sold-price history, property history, asking prices, rental evidence and market trends.
Property investment analytics: £/sq ft, rents, yields, capital growth, comparables and market research.
Time on market, stock levels, asking-price trends, reductions and market velocity.
Area context: demographics, crime, deprivation, schools, transport, amenities and local characteristics.
Use these sources to establish what has happened, what policy says and how decisions have been tested.
National structured planning and housing datasets, useful as a spatial cross-check.
Coverage is still developing. Always verify material planning findings against the relevant Local Planning Authority and its current policy documents.
National policy framework covering housing, Green Belt, Grey Belt, design, heritage, biodiversity, flood risk, transport and viability.
Detailed government guidance on applying national planning policy.
Planning appeals, examinations and inspector decisions.
The council planning portal, Local Plan, Policies Map, committee reports, applications, conditions and planning obligations.
Finding it: search the relevant council's planning portal for the site postcode/address.
These checks identify constraints that can change buildability, cost and value.
Flood, water and environmental regulation information.
Flood Map for Planning:
Environmental mapping across protected sites, habitats, landscape and other government datasets.
Protected sites, biodiversity, landscapes, agricultural land and nature conservation.
Listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage and archaeology.
Coal mining risk, mine entries, historic workings and mining-related constraints.
Geology, superficial deposits, made ground and preliminary geological hazards.
Use completed transactions for valuation, live listings for competition and market-intelligence platforms for liquidity/context.
Recorded residential transactions used for comparable-sales analysis.
Population, households, employment, income, housing and local demographic indicators.
Local statistics:
Additional residential listings, land and development opportunities.
Higher-value and premium residential market evidence.
Construction cost benchmarking, regional costs, labour/material rates and cost planning.
Valuation, comparable evidence, surveying and professional standards.
Move from “can it be built?” to “does it make financial sense?”
Official BNG guidance and applicability rules.
Statutory metric:
Official CIL guidance; combine with the relevant council's charging schedule and map.
Government guidance on planning obligations and their legal tests.
Use BCIS as the benchmark layer, then validate scheme-specific costs with QSs, contractors, utilities and specialist consultants.
GDV less acquisition, build, professional, finance, sales, contributions, BNG, abnormals, contingency and required developer profit.
GDV − total development costs − required profit = residual land value.
Then apply a risk allowance to derive a rational acquisition ceiling.
Use these when the site requires deeper investigation or specialist evidence.
Alternative professional land-intelligence platform covering ownership, planning, policy and constraints.
Mapping, aerial imagery, site measurements, planning, ownership and historical mapping.
Base mapping, topography, buildings, roads and spatial context.
Useful starting point for identifying electricity network operators and infrastructure context.
Energy ratings, floor area, heating, insulation and improvement recommendations.
Business rates and commercial property/rateable-value information.
Corporate ownership intelligence: directors, accounts, charges, filings and company structure.
Commercial and residential auction opportunities, including land and development stock.
Residential, commercial, land and development auction opportunities.
Residential, commercial and land auction listings.
Residential, commercial and land auction opportunities.
Property and auction opportunities, including development-related stock.
A practical way to use the sources without opening every website for every property.
Question: Is the opportunity worth deeper investigation?
Question: Is development realistically possible?
Question: What is the risk-adjusted value and sensible acquisition price?
| Gate | Core checks | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Legal control | Ownership, title, access, covenants, restrictions | Proceed / Stop |
| 2. Planning | Policy, history, constraints, precedent, appeals | Proceed / Stop |
| 3. Physical delivery | Layout, density, highways, drainage, utilities, ecology, ground | Redesign / Investigate |
| 4. Financial viability | GDV, build cost, finance, contributions, abnormal costs, profit | Proceed / Renegotiate |
| 5. Risk-adjusted return | Planning probability, time, capital, liquidity, downside sensitivity | Buy / Investigate / Pass |
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