Blog

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.

UK planning application approval rates by local authority from 2011–2026 - including live 2026 decisions. Compare councils, trends and sectors in one national view.

Permitted development rights allow certain types of development to proceed without full planning permission. Learn how they work and why they matter for developers.

A practical guide to the call for sites process, explaining how councils assess land and how developers use CFS to build long-term pipeline.

Class R rules changed in May 2024, expanding the commercial uses allowed on agricultural units. Understand what’s now permitted and how to assess viable opportunities.

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.

MCP is everywhere right now. But not all connectors are built the same - and in property and planning, the difference shows up fast. Here's what to look for, and how Searchland stacks up.

Proposed NPPF reforms could introduce a “default yes” approach to development near train stations. We’ve analysed 1,000+ locations across England to identify where the biggest opportunities sit - and how to get ahead before policy is finalised.

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.

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.

Finding profitable development opportunities, especially larger-scale ones, can take time and effort. Land Assembly provides ambitious developers the means to make those opportunities a reality.

Whether you work in the energy sector or are a developer exploring the feasibility of connecting new projects to the National Grid - our DNO tool is an invaluable resource you need to be using.

When moving from an existing GIS platform to Searchland, don't leave your hard work behind. Bring all of your custom datasets along with our new Upload layer tool.

Tired of trawling through council websites to investigate interactive local plan policy maps? We’ve made it simple by gathering the different data packages and digitising them in our dynamic Local plan policy tool.

Say hello to the newest iteration of our powerful integrated letter-sending feature. Bringing you even more enhancements and capabilities to further amp up site prospecting.

Whether you're a renewable energy provider scouting for prime land or a developer eager to uncover the optimal locations for solar panel placement, our cutting-edge solar insights layers are tailored just for your needs.