Planning isn’t the problem It’s labour, build costs and finance holding up sites Everyone keeps saying the planning system is the reason we aren’t seeing enough new homes I don’t agree Planning is slow, and sometimes chaotic, but that isn’t why small sites are drying up The shortage is coming from something far more basic Build costs are still high Labour is harder to find Finance is more expensive even though it is still readily available Put all of that together and most landowners and small developers are hesitating Quite simply because all three combine to create a perfect storm But here’s the truth on the ground Good sites still stack if you know how to approach them Demand for new homes hasn’t gone anywhere Funders will still back sensible schemes The issue isn’t that these sites don’t exist Small parcels of land Back garden plots Brownfield Commercial buildings that have no future in their current use Sites with or without planning They’re out there The challenge is that this perfect storm is making a lot of them look unviable on first glance But with the right approach, many can be made viable through planning alterations, smarter purchase agreements and a sprinkling of creativity That’s where you can help If a landowner ever mentions selling If a site looks stuck If you hear about a withdrawn application If someone has a building that no longer works commercially Introduce me and I’ll pay you a fee if the deal completes No drama No pressure Just a simple way for us both to win I’m actively looking and can move quickly when something sensible comes up If anything crosses your desk or pops up in conversation, send me a message and I’ll take a look

Posted by Sam Bastow at 2025-11-19 10:11:30 UTC