Concept illustration of a small new-build residential street, several gable-fronted brick homes arranged along a shared access road
Concept artwork — proposed residential scheme
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
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.

  • 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.

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

Concept illustration of an additional dwelling shown as a massing sketch alongside an existing house on the same plot
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, normally subject to an eight-week statutory determination period for non-major development, or 13 weeks for schemes classed as major development. Actual timescales may be extended by agreement where further information, consultation or negotiation is required.

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. Any early viability observations we give are high-level and planning/design-led — formal cost advice, valuation, taxation and investment advice should be obtained from appropriately qualified specialists.

Will S106 or CIL apply?

Section 106 obligations depend on local policy, the scale of the scheme and the impacts that need to be mitigated. Affordable-housing requirements commonly apply to larger schemes, although lower thresholds can apply in some designated rural areas. CIL is separate and may apply to any new dwelling, or other development creating 100 m² or more of additional floor space, where the authority operates an adopted charging schedule. We check the local position during feasibility, since it directly affects viability.

How long does residential planning take?

Most applications have an eight-week statutory determination period; schemes classed as major development have a 13-week statutory determination period. 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.

Detailed case studies will be published here as current work completes.

Related projects

Case studies, published as they complete.

Watercolour concept illustration of a small residential development of new homes arranged around a shared driveway
SchemePendingLocation TBC

Future case study

Project details will be published once the work reaches a suitable stage and client approval allows it.

Every project starts with the same feasibility-first conversation.

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 whether your scheme is classed as major development.
  • 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.