Photography pending — real completed residential scheme required (Tier 1 only, per Homepage freeze record)
Residential Development

What can this site really deliver?

Before committing capital, it helps to know what a site can actually support. We help developers, investors and landowners across Milton Keynes and the surrounding area establish viability, unit mix and planning strategy before committing to detailed design.

This page is for anyone assessing whether a site can support more than one home — from a small infill plot to a phased multi-unit scheme.

  • Small site
  • Multi-unit infill
  • Backland development
  • Garage court
  • Underused land
  • Phased development

Whichever describes your project, the first real question is usually the same one.

Site viability

Can the site support a viable residential scheme?

Before design begins, a residential scheme has to clear both planning and commercial tests: whether the policy position supports the density and unit mix you have in mind, and whether the numbers — gross development value against build cost and land value — actually work. Getting this wrong after committing to detailed design is the most common way development schemes stall. Read more on planning strategy for residential sites →

  • Planning policy
  • Access
  • Density
  • Unit mix
  • Overlooking and amenity
  • Parking
  • Drainage
  • Ecology
  • S106 / CIL
  • Committee risk
Decision diagram: how a development opportunity is assessed for commercial viability before a feasibility instruction proceeds.

Long description. A development opportunity is identified. It is first assessed against its planning context, then against site constraints such as access, density and ecology. If, taken together, these support a commercially viable scheme, the recommendation is to proceed to a full feasibility review. If they do not, an alternative strategy is recommended instead — such as a reduced unit count, a different site use, or revisiting the opportunity at a later date.

Every site is different, so the first step is understanding what yours can support.

Our approach

We check feasibility before full drawings.

Rather than starting with detailed drawings, we begin with a feasibility review — establishing what the site can support, what planning route applies, and where structural or Building Regulations issues are likely to arise. Design and technical coordination happen alongside each other, not one after the other, so nothing discovered late forces a redesign or a revised appraisal. Read more about our approach →

Once feasibility is established, here's exactly what happens next.

Annotated site/unit-mix plan — pending (optional asset, Stage 5D)
How it works

What happens once you get in touch.

01

Initial Discussion

Understanding your objectives, the site or opportunity, and any known constraints before discussing the most appropriate route forward.

02

Feasibility

Typically 2–3 weeks — establishing what the site can support, likely unit mix and density, and which planning route applies before any detailed drawings begin.

03

Design Development

Initial ideas are refined into a coordinated scheme that responds to the site, planning requirements and your commercial brief.

04

Planning

A full planning application — decided within a statutory 8-week period for most schemes, or 13 weeks where the application is referred to committee.

05

Technical Design

Building Regulations drawings and structural coordination, prepared so construction can proceed with confidence, in phases where relevant.

06

Construction Support

Where required, we continue supporting the project during construction, helping resolve design queries as they arise across each phase.

With the process clear, here are the questions we're asked most often.

Common questions

Questions about developing your site.

How many units can the site support?

It depends on planning policy, density guidance, access, and the site's relationship to neighbouring properties — there's rarely a single number until these are assessed together. A feasibility review gives you a realistic range early, rather than a hopeful figure that doesn't survive planning scrutiny.

Do I need pre-application advice?

Not always, but for larger or more sensitive schemes it's usually worthwhile — it gives an early, informal steer from the local authority on density, design approach and likely conditions, reducing the risk of a costly redesign after formal submission. We advise on a case-by-case basis as part of the feasibility stage.

What affects planning viability?

Gross development value against build cost and land value, but also policy compliance, affordable housing requirements, and site-specific constraints like access and drainage. Viability is a combination of commercial and planning factors, which is why we assess both together rather than treating them as separate questions.

Will S106 or CIL apply?

Often, once a scheme passes a certain unit threshold (commonly around 10-11 units in many authorities, though this varies) — triggering contributions toward affordable housing, education or transport infrastructure. Below that threshold, CIL may still apply depending on the local charging schedule. We check this early, since it directly affects viability.

How long does residential planning take?

Most applications are decided within a statutory 8-week period; larger schemes referred to committee typically take 13 weeks. Pre-application advice, consultation responses and any requests for further information can extend this — we build realistic timescales into the feasibility stage rather than quoting the statutory minimum as if it were guaranteed.

Can the scheme be phased?

Often, yes — phasing can help manage cashflow, financing and market risk across a larger scheme. Whether it's appropriate depends on the site, access arrangements and how the units are intended to be sold or let. We assess this as part of the feasibility review, not as an afterthought once drawings exist.

If a project like this looks familiar, here's what it can look like once it's built.

Related projects

We've done this before.

Photography pending — real project photograph required (Tier 1 only)
8 UnitsPlanning ApprovedNewport Pagnell

An 8-Unit Infill Scheme in Newport Pagnell

A phased development on a former garage court, resolving density and overlooking concerns with neighbouring properties and securing planning permission for a scheme that met the local authority's affordable housing threshold without compromising viability.

View project
Additional case study — pending publication
SchemePendingLocation TBC

Case study coming soon

Additional case study — pending publication
SchemePendingLocation TBC

Case study coming soon

Every one of these started with the same feasibility-first conversation.

Want to understand more first?

That's fine.

Planning

Understanding Viability in Residential Development

A scheme can be planning-compliant and still fail commercially, or viable on paper and still struggle to secure permission — understanding how planning policy and development appraisal interact is the first step before committing to a feasibility instruction.

7 min read · Updated May 2026
Read article
Development-category article — pending, once written
Development

Article coming soon

Either way, here's what you should already understand by this point.

What you'll know before instructing a feasibility review.

  • Whether the site is likely to be commercially viable, and what still needs resolving.
  • Whether S106 or CIL contributions are likely to apply to your scheme.
  • Roughly how long residential planning takes, including committee-level risk where relevant.
  • What the next step should be for your specific scheme.

Let's find out what's possible.

A feasibility review is the fastest way to know what your site can support, before you commit to anything else.

Arrange a feasibility review Send an email

Feasibility reviews are focused on understanding your site's potential and identifying the most realistic route forward.