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Planning Policy – Plan Viability, CIL, Strategic Sites, Employment Land

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Town and country planning has been a fundamental part of land ownership and development since the housing and public health codes of the industrial revolution and we are fully engaged in the planning process at all levels. Our skills as Chartered Surveyors and RICS Registered Valuers as well as Chartered Town Planners means that we are ideally placed to advise on economic viability which is a fundamental part of plan making and decision taking in planning.

Planning Policy

Our services provide an essential part of the market research and evidence base to support policy development, including: the production of masterplans; the formulation of Area Action Plans; financial modelling for Local Plan Viability including Affordable Housing viability and Community Infrastructure Levy.

Local Plan and CIL Viability Assessments

AspinallVerdi has extensive knowledge and experience in planning policy formulation. We bring together a broad range of planning and development services into one fully integrated property regeneration practice.

We inform the strategic investment priorities of the public sector including: Affordable Housing, Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), Local Development Orders; and Business Improvement Districts. We are a senior level team used to providing evidence for Planning Hearings and Examinations.

Local and CIL Viability Assessment involves comprehensive local property market and land market research; cumulative policy analysis; typology analysis; strategic site deep-dives; industry and stakeholder consultation; appraisal modelling and sensitivity testing. We always strive to provide pragmatic advice on the trade-offs and balance between planning requirements, land value and profit.

We have advised dozens of Local Planning Authorities on area wide viability and have extensive experience of advocacy at Examinations in Public.

Land Value Capture

A common thread throughout the government’s attempts to solve the housing crisis is ‘land value capture’. This is a mechanism by which the ‘windfall’ value from planning allocations and permissions (particularly on greenfield sites with a low / agricultural existing use value) is ‘captured’ to help co-fund infrastructure, affordable housing and high-quality design. AspinallVerdi has the key skills required in planning, valuation, site assembly, compulsory purchase etc. to be able to advise Authorities and New Town Development Corporations on the fine balance between private profit/land value and the public good.

Infrastructure and Growth

Our skills in financial viability, funding and delivery mechanisms are key to ‘unlocking’ sites to deliver infrastructure and growth. We are often retained by strategic land companies and/or local authorities to test the viability of strategic development areas (SDAs) vis-à-vis the timing and phasing of infrastructure. This could be to support plan making (e.g. affordable housing viability and CIL) or delivery (e.g. phasing and trigger points for infrastructure, CIL off-setting mechanisms etc).

Employment Land Reviews

We are trusted by our clients to provide the appropriate robust evidence base to support site allocations and de-allocations for employment uses for plan making purposes. Our knowledge on development delivery and interpretation of market data is key to informing our assessments on site suitability across the plan period and in the context of the wider market.

Strategic Housing Land

A large part of our work is advising on the long-term planning, viability and delivery mechanism for strategic urban extensions, garden suburbs and new towns. This can involve site assembly, influencing the development plan, funding primary infrastructure and affordable housing viability.

Financial Modelling

We have experience of preparing viability models using Argus Developer and creating bespoke cashflow models in Excel. We are also well versed in using the various development appraisal ‘toolkits’.

Site Specific Viability Appraisals

We also act for Local Planning Authorities to review developer’s viability statements. We are on Local Authority panels of viability appraisers and also work on specific schemes where there is a viability issue. Our valuation and appraisal skills enable us to ensure the developer’s assumptions to they are robust.

Best Practice

We have provided pro-bono services to both the RICS and RTPI. We were on the RICS steering group which authored the Assessing Viability in Planning under the National Planning Policy Framework 2019 for England. We have also sat on the RTPI England Policy Panel.

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Other Core Services

We offer fully integrated planning, economic and development services covering all aspects of property regeneration from concept stage to start-on-site.

Our Clients

We advise a wide range of clients including:

Private Developers & House-builders • Landowners • Local Authorities • Combined Authorities • Homes England & Registered Providers

On behalf of Amber Valley, I would like to express grateful thanks to you all, for your hard work and expertise throughout the process and ensuring that we compiled a robust application, providing us with the best possible business case to secure funding for the town.

You have all been very professional and worked with our sometimes challenging set of Consultees and not least myself to provide a timely service and keep the project moving. I know that the changes to the extended project timeline and supplementary requirement to respond to the Covid situation has been protracted and I appreciate you sticking with us and maintaining your service and good humour throughout. Please pass on my thanks to your teams.

Joanne Bamford

Growth & Town Centres Manager  Amber Valley

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council has employed the services of Aspinall Verdi, as lead contractor on two significant contracts that will form part of this evidence base. Specifically, these were a detailed housing market review of Birkenhead and a Whole Plan Viability Review.

All of this work has been to a very high standard, with excellent quality work. I have found the company to be excellent in the execution of all aspects of their contracts.
Aspinall Verdi provided us with information and advice that was at an appropriate level of detail to not only meet the requirement of a planning inquiry, but was also commercially realistic.

I have no hesitation in commending Aspinall Verdi as an Outstanding Small Practice of Chartered Surveyors.

Keith Keeley

Head of Regeneration Strategy  Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

Aspinall Verdi has provided for us a range of property market, viability and delivery related advice on a succession of our development projects. All this work has been to a very high standard, carefully considered with excellent quality work.

I have found the company to be excellent and exceptionally diligent in the execution of all aspects of their work with us. The Aspinall Verdi staff, with whom I have worked, are extremely thorough, diligent and professional and have tailored their work to the needs of ourselves the client.

The advice provided is also mindful of the evolving sustainability agenda and the social impact of planning and regeneration policy. I have no hesitation in commending Aspinall Verdi as an Outstanding Planning and Development Consultancy.

Mark Kitts

Managing Director  Tawd Valley Developments

Tamworth Borough Council have employed the services of Aspinall Verdi, as lead contractor on two significant contracts over the past 3 years. Specifically these were a viability focused Masterplan on a large Town Centre regeneration site and the completion of a HM Treasury Green Book Compliant business case, for the Future High Street Streets Fund.

In my experience and that of my team I have found Aspinall Verdi to be excellent in the execution of all aspects of their contracts. The output delivered in both of our specific cases was carried out to the highest standard and quality. Aspinall Verdi also provided us with information and advice that was relevant, realistic and commercial and both contracts focused on what was actually deliverable and achievable under the market conditions.

Matt Fletcher

Head of Economic Development and Regeneration  Tamworth Borough Council

Working with Aspinall Verdi provided a good service and high quality technical data. Written material from Aspinall Verdi was good, with a number of addendums of the main assessment required to satisfy the Council as client and the local plan examination inspector in short time.

The Craven Local Plan was adopted in November 2019 and Aspinall Verdi has recently assisted the Council by providing important text on viability and procedures for the consultation draft supplementary planning document on affordable housing. I also oversaw this work.

In conclusion, I have no hesitation in recommending Aspinall Verdi, as a reliable, conscientious and ‘fit for purpose’ consultancy to provide a very good product on local plan viability assessment and related matters.

David Sykes

Planning Officer  Craven District Council

Working with Aspinall Verdi has been a transformative experience. Their true expertise in site development management coupled with a deep understanding of the local market, made a significant difference in our project. From the initial consultation, then acting as site agent all through to the final execution, their attention to detail, innovative solutions and collaborative support were evident in every step of the way.

They not only helped us maximise the potential of our site but also ensured that the project aligned with our vision. We would highly recommend Aspinall Verdi to anyone seeking a sound professional approach, stakeholder engagement and timely delivery from start to finish on any property planning or development type.

James Bolton

Langho Resale 

AspinallVerdi played a pivotal role in this commission, providing a Red Book valuation for our purpose-built schemes, which comprise a mix of cluster rooms with shared communal facilities and self-contained units of varying sizes. Their analysis considered the legal position of each scheme and assessed the impact of various investment scenarios on asset values. In addition, detailed marketing advice was provided, enabling us to make informed decisions that align with our strategic objectives.

AspinallVerdi showed professionalism, the ability to work collaboratively, and delivered to a high standard. The team was approachable, thorough, and highly knowledgeable throughout the process.

I would not hesitate to use AspinallVerdi services again or recommend them for any Red Book valuation, particularly those involving Strategic Asset Management Support.

Claire Ruff

Portfolio Analyst  Clarion Housing