The Process
Financial Assessment
Initial proposals are considered and a detailed financial appraisal is undertaken to assess the viability and potential value of the land, based on planning consent being granted.
Negotiations
Inevitably, there will be an element of negotiation on the value of the land and the price we will agree to pay. However, suffice to say that we have so far been able to reach agreement on all the opportunities offered that have reached this stage to the satisfaction of all the parties involved.
Detailed Design
Having reached agreement with the land owner we start making preparations for the planning application submission. This includes drawing up detailed plans of the proposed development, landscaping plans, wildlife and ecology reports and proposals, transport and travel statements, making sunlight and daylight assessments and so on. See the measures we take to safeguard the environment.
Pre-application Consultation
When initial site proposals are ready, they are submitted to the Council under the pre-application consultation procedure. We pay the Council a fee to assess our proposals and provide reliable feedback. We value the feedback from the planners and incorporate their observations and fine-tune the proposals and resubmit the revised plans for further comment. This will continue until we have reached a position where the local planning officers are satisfied that the proposals take proper account of their views and recommendations.
Public Consultation
We have always believed that we need to present our proposals to those local residents and neighbours potentially impacted by our proposals to give them an opportunity to air their views. More likely than not, we will adjust our proposals in response to concerns raised by local residents, where relevant, before we submit our application. We also meet neighbours directly to discuss the proposals. Find out about town meetings here.
Planning Application and Decision
Once the plans are submitted to the Planning Authority, the statutory period for the Council to reach a decision is 13 weeks. It does rarely complete within that period but a decision is typically made by the Planning Committee within 20 weeks of the application being submitted.
Planning Consent
Planning consent in hand, we set about finalising the financing arrangements to complete the purchases of properties, as agreed, with the land owners. We will also use this period to appoint the main contractor for the construction works.
Construction
Construction works are be noisy and cause some disturbance to neighbours as it progresses. While care is taken to minimise the risk of disturbance by the contractor, there are inevitably times when noise disturbances will occur. At the outset of any construction works, we liaise with local residents and provide contact details for the contractor and Danehurst in the event they have any cause for concern. The contractor also distributes a weekly construction update to neighbours and other stakeholders. This update explains the tasks ahead and, importantly, if any noisy works are planned, so that local residents are aware in advance. Find out more about measures taken to reduce disruption here.
Sales and Marketing
During the construction phase the directors prepare the completed development for occupation by its new residents/owners.
The successful conclusion of a project is largely due to a combination of sound management and the competence of our professional team and contractor. We contract with carefully selected professional firms of architects, engineers, lawyers and environmental consultants who we have worked with on previous projects or who have been recommended to us for their specialist expertise and responsive service.