Introducing the Inside Property Development Podcast

As we all know, the world of land, planning and property development – and the planning system in particular - has been getting increasingly complex and risky, which is a major contributing factor to the housing crisis we’re facing today. As someone who’s been working at the coalface for the last 40 years, I’ve witnessed firsthand how these challenges impact developers, especially SMEs.

In light of these challenges, we’re excited to announce the launch of our new podcast, ‘Inside Property Development’, sponsored by LandTech. The podcast aims to shine a light on the many complexities of property development and foster collaboration (rather than confrontation) amongst everyone affected by the industry.

Let me tell you a bit about why I wanted to start this…

Complexity and Risk in Property Development

Property development by its nature is high risk, but it’s becoming more complex and riskier by the day - squeezing new developers out of the market and making many of the older ones just give up and retire (...I’ve been seriously thinking about that myself!).

It’s this complexity and risk that’s led to a drastic fall in the number of SME developers - from 12,500 in 1988 to just 2,000 a few years ago - and this decline is a core reason for the severe housing shortage in the UK.

The increasing complexity is compounded by a struggling planning system and a political environment that has often exacerbated the problem rather than solving it. Fingers-crossed, it will hopefully start getting better with this new government. 

Systemic Challenges

Now, a drastically under-resourced and inefficient planning system, increasing (and often competing) policy requirements, increased costs, uncertainty and delays in decision-making… all make it extremely difficult, and often nigh on impossible, for developers to bring projects to fruition.

This bureaucratic quagmire discourages new entrants and hampers the efforts of existing developers. The politicisation of planning further complicates the process, creating a contentious environment that massively limits collaboration and innovation.

Sustainable Development and Getting Deals Done

It’s clear that we need many more good quality, well-designed homes and developing in a sustainable way should be the way forward. However, land economics cannot be ignored and it’s the cost and viability of land that represents the biggest hurdle to that happening.

Assuming you aren’t a not-for-profit organisation, and you’re not lucky enough to have free or subsidised land, then maximising land values, incentivising landowners to sell, and securing deals on margins where you won’t go bust when things start going sideways (as they nearly always do) is the only way to survive, and hopefully thrive.

Developers must learn to navigate the many challenges involved  to ensure their projects meet environmental standards while remaining financially viable, and other industry stakeholders need to understand just how hard it is for us to get things done. 

And, when developers can better understand where local authority planners, objectors and committee members are coming from, we might be able to make things a bit easier for everyone.

Launching the ‘Inside Property Development’ Podcast

If we are to make any meaningful headway in tackling the many challenges we all face, new conversations and new solutions are required - working together as much as possible. So this is why we’re launching this new forum for open discussion and collaboration.

By sharing insights and experiences from various stakeholders, we hope to bridge the knowledge gap, drive positive change, and support SME developers (and the bigger ones) in getting many more homes built - the right way.

It’s a big subject and the podcast will cover a range of topics, including how to deal with the problems of cost and availability of viable land, the intricacies of the planning system, funding and the importance of sustainable building practices.

Through in-depth interviews with experts from all sides (ideally there wouldn’t be any sides!) and real-life case studies, we aim to provide practical solutions and strategies for overcoming the industry’s most pressing issues.

Birch Grove: A Case Study in Overcoming Challenges

Some of our early episodes are filmed at Birch Grove, my latest development that exemplifies many of the challenges in property development. Future episodes will be filmed both on site (my own and others) and in the studio.

Birch Grove had a 35-year history of planning refusals before we transformed it into a fully net zero sustainable development, meeting all 12 of the Building with Nature environmental standards and showcasing the principles of biophilic design.

The site is a good example of three of the major problems in the industry — land availability (and viability), planning complexities, and the push for more sustainable development.

Tune in now

If you’re also interested in improving the industry as a whole through collaboration rather than confrontation - head over to Apple Podcasts and support the movement by Following, Downloading and Listening to Inside Property Development.

The property development industry is at a hugely critical point (as I’m sure you’re aware). The challenges of complexity, planning delays and inefficiencies, managing costs and developing sustainably must be understood and addressed collaboratively.

Through us all joining together we can actually create real change in addressing the housing crisis, better homes and a better future for people, the planet and our industry. 

Don’t miss out — listen now and be part of the solution.