Did you know land value can be created before the application for planning permission? Most of the uplift people attribute to “planning permission” is actually created during the phase that happens before an application is submitted: de-risking, repositioning and evidencing a better development story.
And that’s how we can help.
Intelligent Land reframes that work as an asset in its own right, by using our Land Value Accelerator™ (LVA Method™) to surface options others miss, and then prove them economically, technically and politically as part of your application – to then show an increase in land value before planning permission.
We combine proprietary AI models with three decades of planning expertise to unlock hidden opportunities and compress risk. We don’t just advise; we accelerate outcomes.
A practical, pre-planning plan to increase land value
Use this as a checklist before you go near validation, or a sale. If you need help in increasing land value before you apply for planning permission, contact us.
1) Re-frame the development story
- Clarify the optimum use and mix. Test alternatives: density, tenure mix, phasing, meanwhile uses, design codes, and access strategies.
- Position for policy fit. Align the concept with the NPPF (updated 7 February 2025) and local plan direction so your narrative mirrors current decision-maker priorities.
2) Remove “unknowns” that depress price
- Title & easements. Resolve ransom strips, access rights and overage traps early.
- Utilities & access. Commission capacity checks and show deliverable points of connection and safe access.
- Ground, flood and heritage. Commission proportionate desk studies; highlight mitigations rather than leaving “red flags” unexplained.
3) Nail your Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) strategy
BNG is mandatory in England (10% minimum) for major developments from 12 Feb 2024 and for small sites from 2 Apr 2024 – measured via the statutory biodiversity metric. Building a credible on-/off-site strategy (with legal delivery route) removes a major planning risk and boosts buyer confidence. NSIPs are expected to come into scope from Nov 2025. When we help you increase land value before planning permission, BNG advice is a key part of what we do.
4) Get your viability and developer contributions story straight
Evidence CIL liability, likely s106 heads of terms and any reliefs/consistency with local charging schedules. Buyers price uncertainty; you should price with clarity.
5) Pre-app and stakeholder strategy
- Targeted pre-app and political engagement to surface blockers; community benefits framed against local priorities (housing mix, infrastructure, nature recovery).
- Document “decision comfort” (policy references, case examples). In 2025, central government emphasis on speeding decisions and boosting supply makes well-evidenced schemes more bankable.
6) Create a due-diligence data room
- Single source of truth: surveys, utilities letters, BNG metric outputs, access drawings, drainage concepts, programme, risk register, appraisal sensitivities.
- This is the difference between “speculative land” and a “ready-to-build product”.
7) Time your market signal
Scarcity of consented sites often lifts bidding intensity; show you’re nearly consented with solved constraints to capture some of that premium earlier. Recent land agency commentary notes stronger bidding on consented opportunities and stabilising greenfield values – all context a buyer will know.
How the LVA Method™ unlocks value before planning (and a sale)
1) Review Planning Permissions
We diagnose your current status, policy context and constraints. We translate the latest NPPF and guidance changes into a site-specific go-/no-go matrix and surface the quickest credible consent pathway – whilst maximising the value of your land. Please note we can also help you after: read our guide to land value with planning permission.
2) Undertake Research
Technical, legal, BNG, ESG and market research – plus early inputs from statutory consultees. We run the statutory BNG metric (or validate your ecologist’s outputs), cost delivery routes, and identify legal mechanisms (s106, conservation covenants) to bank the 10% uplift compliantly.
3) Scenario Testing (AI-driven)
Our models test thousands of permutations – use, layout, density, phasing, contribution profiles, off-site BNG credits – optimising IRR and decision comfort simultaneously. By evidencing a better, lower-risk consent route, land value uplifts can be realised before determination – often supporting £1m+ uplift within 24 hours in many cases through re-pricing and repositioning.
Outcome: a “de-risked concept pack” and commercial narrative that increases buyer confidence, shortens diligence, and justifies stronger offers or JV terms – without waiting for a formal consent.
Why this works to increase land value before planning permission
- Perceived value is real value. When you change the context from “uncertain site” to “solved site with quantified pathways,” the human brain prices it differently – fewer unknowns, less hassle, more certainty.
- Counter-intuition pays. You don’t have to chase a paper consent to capture value; you have to build the clearest route to one.
Worked example (illustrative)
- Baseline: 6-acre edge-of-settlement site with access ambiguity, no BNG plan, limited utilities evidence.
- LVA actions in 10 working days: access solution agreed in principle, statutory BNG metric run with off-site delivery identified, utilities letters obtained, outline massing aligned to NPPF changes, s106 heads of terms sketched.
- Result: agent re-marketed with “near-ready” pack; buyer pool widened from 3 to 7; two JV proposals emerged. (Outcome types frequently mirrored in current market commentary around competition for de-risked/consented stock.)
FAQs: planning permission and land value
How much does planning permission increase land value?
There isn’t a single reliable percentage to show how much planning permission increases land value. Academic and industry evidence shows the uplift is highly variable and depends on use, location, market cycle, policy obligations and whether the site is greenfield or brownfield.
RICS notes that even how much of the uplift is captured via obligations varies widely; the proportion of uplift itself differs case-by-case. You will see rules of thumb quoted online (e.g., “around 10%”) but treat them as generic rather than site-specific indicators; prime locations and “oven-ready” schemes behave very differently to complex, policy-heavy sites.
How much value does planning permission add to land?
Planning permission tends to convert hope value into bankable value by removing risk and time. Where competition for consented stock is high, the premium can be pronounced; where obligations (CIL/s106/BNG) bite hard or sales values are soft, the premium compresses.
Recent commentary shows stabilising greenfield values and stronger bidding on consented opportunities, which is consistent with this effect.
How much does planning permission add to land value in 2025 conditions?
Macro signals matter. The NPPF (Feb 2025 update) and ongoing planning reform agenda aim to increase supply and improve certainty; OBR and industry analysis link planning reform to higher output and productivity, which can support land values where policy risk reduces. None of that removes local constraints, but it favours well-evidenced schemes.
What to do next (and why it pays to start now)
- Book an LVA Discovery Call. We’ll map quick wins and quantify the top three value pathways for your site to increase value before you apply for planning permission
- Commission an LVA Pre-Planning Pack. A 10–14 day sprint producing the evidence and scenario tests buyers and decision-makers trust (including BNG route, heads of terms assumptions, and access/utilities).
- Decide: plan, JV or sell. With risk compressed and value evidenced, you can submit, structure or market from a position of strength.
Intelligent Land unlocks hidden millions in land value by combining proprietary AI algorithms with 30 years of planning expertise.
We don’t just advise; we accelerate outcomes.
Unlock what could potentially be hidden millions in land value today. Click here to get started.
