Residential

The DWD team has extensive experience in affordable housing viability. Planning policy generally requires developers to provide up to half of new dwellings as affordable housing. The potential impact on the supply of housing sites, land value and development returns is therefore significant.

Our team of RICS Registered Valuers and Chartered Town Planners advise applicants on affordable housing policy and development economics to help clients optimise their schemes. We provide informal advice and detailed Viability Reports considering the impact of affordable housing and Section 106 obligations on the deliverability of residential, mixed-use and commercial schemes. We also negotiate with Local Planning Authorities to minimise the burden of such obligations on landowners and developers in order to maximise value. Where necessary we also present Expert evidence in support of Planning Appeal proceedings and negotiate viability review mechanisms.

As part of the overall strategy DWD liaise with the client’s project team including planning and cost consultants and provide advice in respect of design, layout, specification, unit mix and tenures all of which may directly impact upon the potential viability of the scheme. We find that we can best add value through being engaged at an early stage in the planning and development process.

DWD are also able to assist in the drafting of Section 106 Agreements following the grant of planning consent and provide affordable housing valuation and agency advice to both developers and registered providers.

We work with developers across the UK. The recent legal changes have led to a great deal of uncertainty around the circumstances required to either reduce assessments to zero or delete them from the rate list entirely. Our skill, at DWD, is selecting and executing the best strategy for each set of circumstances so that we achieve the earliest possible effective date for the commencement of the zero liability.

In the property’s twilight months or years between occupation and redevelopment the empty property rate liability will need to be carefully managed. Different strategies will need to be adopted dependent on the circumstances and whether the property will be held empty for a short or long term.

For the 2017 Revaluation the government has introduced a new appeal system known as Check Challenge Appeal (CCA). This has made the appeal process slower and more complex. However, the DWD team is able to help; different appeal types can be used to achieve different objectives: Where property is being redeveloped assessments can be either deleted or reduced to zero. The impact on liability is very similar, however the circumstances of each case will determine which route is most effective.

As developments near completion, Local Authorities will often issue Completion Notices to force the early assessment of domestic dwellings, DWD can help with challenging the Completion Notices.

DWD have a strong track record in urban regeneration and mixed-use schemes, greenfield urban extensions, permitted development, one off houses and schemes that affect heritage assets including conservation areas and listed buildings.

We advise housebuilders, promoters, developers, and site owners on scheme feasibility, technical compliance, the provision of affordable housing and scheme viability. We work with design professionals and frequently project manage planning submissions at the pre-application and application stages coordinating sustainability, transportation, heritage and environmental technical supporting submissions.

We are adept at putting together robust, well-thought through applications and navigating them through the planning process, engaging with stakeholders and establishing cooperative relationships with strategic and local planning authorities. We have considerable success in achieving high density, estate regeneration, greenfield urban extensions and air rights development.

We advise on and implement strategic land allocations through the development plan process and if necessary we give expert evidence at examinations and appeals.

Once planning permission is obtained our Residential Planning Team frequently remain involved in the project to discharge all pre-commencement planning conditions and that all Section 106 legal obligations are complied with to ensure there is no delay to the development starting on site. If changes to the approved development are required before or during construction, we also manage this process and advise the design team what is necessary and obtain the appropriate consents from the Local Planning Authority. We also advise on Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and negotiate reductions with the Local Planning Authority where exemptions or relief can be achieved.