Many factors continue to impede the achievement of the government’s ambitious new housing target. One issue to be addressed right at the start of the process is the role of strategic land. Long before any planning application is submitted, strategic land developers are working to unlock large-scale sites with prospects for long-term growth.
Strategic land developments, wherever and however they emerge, can play a pivotal role in creating places that work meaningfully for people, the environment, and the economy. Strategic land development shapes tomorrow’s communities today. Whether those developments truly work in practice will likely rest on two essential principles: robust master planning and a steadfast commitment to sustainable, community-focused delivery.
Replacement local plans being prepared by local planning authorities must provide for the number of new homes calculated by the standard method advocated by the government. This usually requires the allocation of large or complex new housing sites. These sites are promoted by strategic land developers in response to the emerging plan’s development process, referred to as the ‘call for sites’. Credibly promoted strategic sites will be subject to various degrees of master planning as the site moves from theoretical to conceptual to deliverable to completed development.
Master planning potentially has several layers.
The boundaries between these layers are fuzzy, with master planning flexing to secure the desired outcome.
Master planning is the cornerstone of successful strategic land projects. It is the process of creating a long-term, policy-led spatial framework that guides how a large site or area will be developed, phased and delivered in a sustainable way. It is far more than drawing boundaries on a map. This approach encompasses housing, transport networks, public and green spaces, educational provision, utilities, and social infrastructure, aligning them within a comprehensive and strategic framework.
A well-designed masterplan ensures that development is phased intelligently, so educational facilities, healthcare facilities, and transport links are provided as the demand from the new homes arises.
This approach can help reduce planning risk, enhance land value, and build confidence among the various stakeholders, from local authorities to investors. Sustainable master planning aims to create towns, cities, and neighbourhoods that demonstrate lasting social, economic, and environmental integrity—serving present needs while safeguarding future generations
For multiple landowner sites and joint venture developers, master planning provides clarity and flexibility. It sets out a framework for collaboration, equalisation, and infrastructure funding, which is essential for large, multi-party schemes. It provides a vision for transforming fragmented plots into thriving communities.
The UK’s planning framework increasingly prioritises sustainability, with many planning applications benefiting from the presumption in favour of sustainable development that is embedded in the National Planning Policy Framework. Sustainability is a multifaceted concept, with proximity to local services and ready access to mass transport featuring alongside the provision of biodiversity net gain, protection of our environmental and cultural heritage, and enhancements in performance against climate targets all playing their part.
Master planning ensures strategic development focuses on sustainable living through location, flood risk management, energy-efficient design, renewable energy adoption, and active travel connectivity. The new towns of tomorrow will provide for the integration of development alongside green infrastructure to reflect a growing commitment to linking urban growth with natural ecosystems.
Sustainability also encompasses social dimensions, and strategic sites should foster inclusivity, wellbeing, and economic opportunity, which careful master planning can deliver. Mixed-use developments, affordable housing, and community hubs help create vibrant places where people choose to live and work. Developments that ignore these principles run the risk of not being included in emerging local plans and facing higher levels of opposition. Poor master planning will result in delays and reputational damage and, for developers and investors, will result in lower value sales.
Bristol’s declaration of a climate emergency in 2018 is a good example of how local authorities integrate climate considerations into planning policy. Bristol City Council recognises it needs to have supportive urban planning frameworks to encourage and prioritise development that meets its climate goals embedding climate mitigation and adaptation as a central part of design, utilising the planning system as a driver for low-carbon development, climate resilience, and sustainable communities. Bristol City Council has taken direct action by reducing the carbon footprint of its buildings, moving to more sustainable forms of electricity/ heat supply, delivering significant low carbon energy infrastructure at scale including expanding the heat networks across the city, operating and lowering running costs of the council’s electric vehicle fleet, completing an LED street lighting programme replacing 36,000 lights with energy-efficient LED lanterns and installing renewable energy improvements to council-owned buildings.
Further north, Cheltenham’s Golden Valley is a major £1 billion cyber and tech development near GCHQ. Golden Valley aims to provide a vibrant and pioneering garden community, with business space, new homes and community uses, alongside the highest standards of environmental sustainability, design and place-making. The Masterplan describes Golden Valley as “a community where technology and life collide, creating the perfect ecosystem for future changemakers” The masterplan includes over 1 million sq ft of commercial space for tech sectors like cybersecurity and AI. With more than 1,000 new homes and a landscape-led design that prioritises people and nature, Golden Valley will be a thriving, inclusive space which encourages innovation, recreation, and wellbeing“.
To the south Marlcombe, located between the A30 and A3052 immediately south of Exeter Airport, has been identified in the government’s next-generation new towns programme. It is being planned as a mixed-use, climate-resilient, and inclusive town, bringing together ambitious housing delivery, green infrastructure, community facilities and excellent transport links. The New Towns Taskforce Report, published in September last year, highlights Marlcombe’s potential to unlock economic growth, accelerate housing delivery, and create an environmentally resilient, well-connected community. The proposal is for essential services and amenities such as schools, GP surgeries, shops, community hubs, and wastewater treatment to be delivered alongside new housing to ensure residents are supported by vital services as they are needed.
From negotiating option and promotion agreements to advising on planning obligations and environmental compliance, Michelmores ensure projects are structured for success. By combining technical knowledge with a commitment to sustainability, we work alongside our clients to deliver developments that stand the test of time – economically, socially, and environmentally.
