Blog

Looking for a land-sourcing platform with live rental and sales listings? Searchland is levelling up with a groundbreaking integration with Rightmove's on-market data.

After weeks of speculation, the Prime Minister finally announced the scrapping of the northern leg of HS2. But what does this mean for the projects that received planning permission?

It's designed to stop developers attempting to reduce their share of costs for local infrastructure, and affordable housing, when they start new projects. This includes costs across roads, GP surgeries and schools, shared with councils.

‍Searchland has a clear mission: to transform the way property professionals source sites. Here's the full story on where we come from and how we're helping developers across the UK.

We've introduced AI (artificial intelligence) into Searchland, enabling you to find specific information about local council plan documents, adopted & emerging, within seconds.

In protected land areas, it’s a requirement to offset the nutrient pollution caused by new construction. Read how developers can purchase 'nutrient credits' or create nutrient mitigation schemes themselves to meet requirements.

Did you know that around 95% of the population live in built up areas? Preventing urban sprawl is an approach taken by the NPPF for sustainable development. Part of the containment process is a policy called settlement boundaries, sometimes known as village envelopes or development limits. Here we look at what these are, why they are (and are not) a good idea, and how SearchLand can help to make the most of these for your land sourcing and planning applications.

Searchland has launched a new tool to allow developers to search for permitted development sites. It makes it quicker and easier for users to find their ideal sites.

Achieving planning permission has historically been a barrier to house building. We’ve used Searchland's data to compile regional planning statistics for Scotland, England and Wales, including rates of approval and time taken to achieve permission. Read the results and see how your local area compares with the rest of the UK.

One of the ways in which Local Councils source and allocate land for potential future development is via an active consultation exercise known as a “Call For Sites”. This is a rare opportunity for developers to have building land assessed for inclusion as part of future local planning strategy. This latest blog explores how and why the process takes place, why this is of benefit, and how you can make the most of this valuable opportunity.

The UK’s Clean Power 2030 target—95% low-carbon electricity by the end of the decade - is reshaping the renewable energy landscape. But with grid congestion, planning hurdles, and soaring land competition, sourcing the right sites has never been tougher.

Well things have certainly changed since we wrote this article in early 2024. Not only do we now have a new Labour-led government but some huge changes to energy policy too. We'll keep the old stuff here for preservation and update the story as it develops.

Demand for electric vehicle charging sites is growing exponentially. Here we explore some of the best opportunities for developers, for building the future network of EV charge points in the UK.

The UK is facing a housing crisis of unprecedented proportions, with a deficit of 4.3 million homes and a projected increase in households to 26.9 million by 2043. To tackle this issue, Brickflow has released a white paper which delves deep into the problem and offers recommendations for a way forward.

There’s been much on the news recently about The Levelling Up Bill, in connection with well-publicised opposition to planning policy around housing targets in the UK. That being the case, we thought it a good time to review and update just a few of the main – and, for some, contentious - proposals in the Bill that will affect the development industry.

All the planning approval rates and new build sales price information you need for the Kent Local Authority Districts.

As a property developer, finding the right location is key to the success of your project. Access to critical amenities like roads, bus and rail infrastructure and more recently, EV chargers, can be the deciding factor when it comes to making a decision.

As the UK grapples with varying weather conditions, the necessity for accurate flood risk assessment has never been more evident. We’re enhancing our land-sourcing tools with the expansion of our flood data coverage into Wales and Scotland.

Discover the ground beneath with Searchland's latest layers - offering a deeper dive into the geology of land across England and Wales. Explore soil types, soil depths and peat distribution quickly and efficiently as you explore sites in Searchland.

Are you exploring development possibilities across Scotland? Searchland is your go-to solution. We’ve expanded our reach beyond England and Wales to include Scotland, offering innovative and comprehensive access to critical planning and sourcing data.