Strategic land acquisitions involve identifying sites across the United Kingdom that are suited for residential and commercial development. It is usually a long-term process involving landowners, developers and local councils embarking on a cooperative joint venture scheme. The planning application is also quite rigorous but if approved, it has the potential to yield significant returns.
Landin the United Kingdom is typically subdivided into three categories: greenfield site, brownfield site and green belt land. Greenfield sites are traditionally undeveloped sites that have been primarily used for agricultural purposes. With the demand for housing in the United Kingdom outstripping supply year on year, the Government has made the contentious decision to develop on greenfield sites. Greenfield sites are usually located on the outskirts of towns or cities with easily accessible links to road and transport. With no existing structures or prior development, the land is significantly easier to develop on.
One of the ways in which greenfield sites are being utilized is through the implementation of Garden City Village Schemes. Already endorsed by the UK Government and welcomed by local planning authorities, the scheme can potentially deliver 5000-10,000 homes with amenities and transport links located within walking distance. The scheme was first introduced in 1903 in Letchworth and in 2017 the Government confirmed a list of approved sites for the scheme. Each approved site becomes its own self-reliant hub with the added value of being away from pollution riddled city centres.
According to Savills, research has indicated that there remains a strong demand for acquiring strategic land sites. Strategic land investment is a long process which has the benefit of remaining relatively stable against short-term instabilities caused by Brexit and the pandemic. Despite this, the housebuilding sector is an area of concern that is likely to be impacted in the long-term by these events. We can therefore expect a certain amount of disruption to this sector although there appears to be a continued appetite for investment.
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Strategic land acquisitions involve identifying sites across the United Kingdom that are suited for residential and commercial development...
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