Inside Property Development

Paul dives into one of the most powerful tools in a developer’s toolkit – the £1 option agreement. Despite sounding too good to be true, option agreements are a tried-and-tested way of controlling land without needing huge amounts of upfront cash. Paul explains what they are, how they work, why landowners agree to them, and how they can be used to unlock serious planning gain. KEY TAKEAWAYS Option...

Paul discusses with David Hughes, design director of Hughes Architects, focusing on the pressing issue of temporary housing in the UK. They delve into the staggering costs incurred by councils on temporary accommodation, particularly in London, where the financial burden has reached £114 million per month. KEY TAKEAWAYS Temporary Housing Crisis: There are currently 117,000 households in temporary...

In this episode Paul answers your questions about current trends in property design, the balance between creativity and functionality, and the impact of technology on future developments. Paul discusses the influence of modern methods of construction and sustainability on design aesthetics, highlighting the importance of collaboration between developers and local authorities in the planning proces...

Today, Paul is once again joined by the Director of Town Centre Regeneration Ltd, David Van Der Lande. He is a land development consultant who specialises in assessing viability and land assembly. David is also a compulsory purchase expert. This time he and Paul discuss land valuation, the impact of affordable housing requirements, access to finance, town centre regeneration and more. KEY TAKEAWAY...

In this episode, Paul once again sits down to talk with veteran planner Esther Kurland, the director of UDL, who has extensive experience including roles at London Transport, the GLA, and several other local authorities. Esther and Paul once again look at the challenges property developers are currently facing and how these issues can be overcome. They discuss the use of the grey belt and why, at...

Today, Paul is joined by the Director of Town Centre Regeneration Ltd, David Van Der Lande, a development consultant, viability, land assembly and compulsory purchase expert with many decades of experience. He and Paul discuss how CPOs have been used historically and how they are likely to be used in the future to enable local authorities to deliver on the government´s new housing targets. KEY TAK...

In this episode, Paul is joined by Félicie Krikler of Barr Gazeta. She and Paul discusschanging the way buildings are designed to make them easier to repurpose and the idea ofmaking tried and tested, cost effective home designs that work for most sites that are highlylikely to pass planning available for builders. The Property Development Scorecard https://millbanklandacademy.scoreapp.com KEY TAKE...

For this episode, Paul is joined by Tim Riley, director of the award-winning architecturalpractice RCKa. He believes buildings can be catalysts for social change and has experienceof building homes and facilities that genuinely have transformed people´s lives and improvedareas. You will learn how you can be involved in transforming our society by providing greathomes. The Property Development Scor...

If you are tired of all the noise and misinformation about land values and developmenteconomics, this episode of the Inside Property Development podcast is for you. Paul cutsthrough the confusion and gives you the real deal.  The Property Development Scorecard https://millbanklandacademy.scoreapp.com KEY TAKEAWAYS The true driver behind development is economics. Starting with being able toincentiv...

In this episode, Paul once again sits down to speak to Lewis Herbert to talk about the really important issues of homelessness and the housing crisis. As well as discussing how we got here, they look at some of the potential solutions, including the use of modular housing. KEY TAKEAWAYS In the UK, 134,000 people aged 16 to 25 are homeless or at risk. There are 150,000 rough sleepers. Homeless peop...

In this episode, Paul is joined by Leanne Tritton, the founder, former MD and EOT Trustee of ING Media, a team of strategic communications specialists for the built world. They think differently and invest energy and creativity into transforming the way people see buildings, cities and infrastructure. KEY TAKEAWAYS The building sector is very tribal, very siloed, which is counterproductive. The sm...

Today, Paul sits down with Alexa Culver, a lawyer who specialises in the field ofenvironmental development, planning and natural capital. She is legal counsel for RSKWilding - a DEFRA designated body under the Environment Act, which creates large scale nature restoration schemes that support developers to replace habitats. KEY TAKEAWAYS The Planning and Infrastructure Bill Part III is flawed. Paul...

For this episode, Paul and Lewis Herbert sit down to discuss the root causes of the UK current housing crisis and how the problem can be solved. For decades, Lewis has worked to tackle homelessness and the housing crisis. KEY TAKEAWAYS After the war, successive governments focused on housing. Millions of councilhouses and good quality private homes were built. The UK has not been building enough h...

In this episode, Paul talks to Michael Langley, an architect turned developer, who started his career in London designing high-end buildings, extensions and basements. During COVID he decided to transition into development. He has already delivered projects and has several others in the pipeline. KEY TAKEAWAYS It is not the job of the architect to know everything about development. Their training ...

In this episode, Paul is joined by Richard Stone, a chartered construction manager and cost consultant. He also trains people in project management and turns them into experienced developers which enables them to grow their wealth far quicker than they would if they worked a salaried job with a traditional pension. KEY TAKEAWAYS Working in construction is an excellent gateway into development and...

In this episode, Paul talks about the main challenges property developers face and shares how he overcame each of them. He covers finding plots of land where the level of competition is minimal, how to quickly assess sites without spending a lot of money, securing the deal on good terms and maximising the profit. Paul also explains why you need to have your exit in mind and how to make a direct ap...

For this episode, Paul is joined by Henry Bliss of Give My View, the app that makes it far easier for developers to engage with communities, find and motivate potential project supporters and effectively deal with any local objections. It creates surveys that are fast and easy to complete. Ensuring all voices are heard, rather than just the NIMBY view. KEY TAKEAWAYS Traditional consultation method...

In this episode, Paul sits down with David Birbeck, one of the most knowledgeable people when it comes to planning and development. He is the CEO of Design for Homes, a Housing Design Awards director, an Honorary Fellow of RIBA, HCA design board member, NHBC councillor and Housing Forum board member.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Despite the desperate need for housing in the UK, at some point, somebody will star...

In this episode, Paul talks to Oli Lowrie, the director and co-founder of Ackroyd Lowrie Architects. He and his co-founder John Ackroyd believe that architecture is too siloed. They are entrepreneurs as well as architects, they do not simply stay in their lane. Instead, they anticipate the issues projects typically face and create designs that enable developers to more easily get around these prob...

In this episode, Paul talks to Saam Lowni a highly successful property entrepreneur who now specialises in providing innovative property finance solutions for investors and developers. Saam has been passionate about property from a very young age, so much so that he worked on building sites, with developers and in real estate offices, sometimes for free, to learn as much as he could. He and Paul d...

In this episode, Paul talks to David Jones, the managing director of Evans Jones Planning and Property Consultancy. He has been working in planning for 30+ years. He and Paul look at how the planning system has evolved and is likely to look in the future. Including the impact recent changes are already having e.g. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). As we...

For this episode, Paul is joined by AJ Shome director of Founthill Land Planning and Development, a highly successful SME property developer who, in 2013, was one of Paul´s first mentees. They sit down to discuss the trials and tribulations they and others face getting planning permission and getting things built.  KEY TAKEAWAYS •    The time it takes to get a deal done is causing major issues for...

In this episode, Paul shares a few more details about his INSIDER Property Development Framework. Starting with the I that stands for Identifying your site. This includes finding it through off-market opportunities, carrying out fact finding, narrowing down your options, net research, discussing options with the landowner, establishing relationships with other stakeholders and realising the deal....

Today, Paul talks to Hayley Farnell, director of Samsara Ecology and an ecologist with 20+ years of experience. They discuss the best ways for developers to conduct environmental studies, meeting the challenge of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), offsite habitat creation, brownfield site assessment and open mosaic habitats. Hayley also explains how to reach the point where you can still legally build w...

For this episode, Paul is once again joined by Dave Hughes of Fuse Architects. This week they discuss Modern Methods of Construction (MMCs), looking at how they can help developers deliver consistently better-quality homes at a competitive price point, while also overcoming skills shortages. They discuss the challenges developers face when using MMC and how to work out which category of MMC is sui...