Our team of property and land experts are constantly analysing news from governments and industry leaders. We compile all our insights into one place.
Stay up-to-date with permitted development changes, new legislation and market movements.
Major housing schemes now take over 300 days to get planning approval - a 75% increase in a decade - highlighting that delays, not refusals, are the real bottleneck in the UK planning system.
Class Q allows agricultural buildings to be converted into up to 10 homes without full planning permission. Learn the rules, limits, and how developers are sourcing opportunities today.
Class MA permitted development allows Class E buildings to be converted into homes without full planning permission. Learn the rules, 2024 changes and key considerations.
Class ZA permitted development allows certain commercial buildings to be demolished and replaced with new homes without full planning permission. Learn the rules and limits.
Sourcing and appraising development land in the UK requires using multiple site sourcing tools, from checking land ownership and planning history to assessing flood risk, environmental constraints, and site boundaries.
Developers move fastest when data, insight, and decisions live in one place. Searchland’s new appraisal tool delivers exactly that - turning the entire acquisition workflow into a single, seamless motion.
How do you set about finding the best plots for development in towns and cities? With the government introducing more "gentle densification" in built up urban areas, discover how and where to look for the most profitable sites, ahead of your competitors.
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.
The Renters Reform Bill presents the biggest shake-up England’s private rented sector has seen in decades. Expected to pass in 2025, Build to Rent (BTR) and Private Rented Sector (PRS) developers will need to rethink everything from unit design and management strategies to how they navigate the planning process.
You’ve probably heard all about how the high street is taking a beating from online retailers. Well, in a surprising trend reversal, we’re now seeing major e-commerce brands expanding into physical spaces.
The commercial data partnership you’ve been waiting for is here. Access on-market commercial property sales, lettings, leasehold and completed deal listings along with rich property data exclusively in Searchland
It’s the Biodiversity Net Gain Proptech partnership you’ve been waiting for! Together with GAIA, the UK's leading BNG marketplace, we've developed a comprehensive and cutting-edge tool to transform how you engage with BNG projects.
Brownfield sites are usually defined as any land that has already been built on, while greenfield land has yet to be developed. But contrary to what you might assume, not all built-on sites count as brownfield. What’s more, brownfield and greenfield sites can both be found in urban and rural areas.
Utilising Searchland's custom sourcing tool simplifies the process of identifying potential sites for solar farms. But what exactly defines the perfect location for such a development? Let's delve into the key characteristics developers need to consider.
For a property development business, the benefits of buying land off-market can outweigh the various barriers and risks involved. Buying land off-market means actively sourcing more sites than are publicly listed on land portals; a great way to build your portfolio and improve your ROI.
SHLAA data is an incredibly powerful source of information for developers, as it includes off-market building sites that have already been assessed for potential planning. Here, we show you how to make use of our Strategic Land Tool and to utilise our SHLAA mapping layer to find off market sites that are most likely to convert.
Ever wondered what stands between an idea for a new building and its actual construction? It's the world of planning applications—a critical, yet often complex, part of property development. These applications are more than just paperwork; they're the keys that can unlock your project's potential or put it on hold.
The fundamental aim of Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open. But could rethinking Green Belt policy be the key to solving our housing crisis?
Padel court development is booming across the UK, with planning applications up 113% in 2024. At Searchland, we've uncovered nearly 17,000 sites ready for padel investment. Here's where the real opportunity lies for landowners, developers and investors.
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.
Searchland’s Planning Tool brings together 23 million+ UK applications into one searchable, filterable, map-based platform - so land and planning teams can quantify authority behaviour, assess risk properly, and move with confidence instead of instinct.
Messy titles. Confusing occupancies. Disconnected data. The Buildings tool gives you a clear view of what’s really inside any structure - with searchable insights across every building in the UK.
Sourcing elderly care and care home opportunities just got easier. Searchland’s new Elderly care tool gives Searchland users deep insights into 11,000+ care homes, making area analysis and opportunity spotting faster than ever.
For the first time, get visibility on land sale prices helping you understand uplift, spot opportunity, and compare land values with context.
Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) are now live on Searchland, allowing you to explore significant planning projects across England, Scotland, and Wales as you scout potential development opportunities.