Site Appraisal and Development Feasibility

Course overview

A structured method for appraising land: understanding physical and regulatory constraints, testing development options against them and communicating a balanced view of opportunity and risk. The emphasis is on professional judgement and evidence, not on predicting approvals or values.

Who it is for

• Planning professionals
• Developers and estate managers
• Graduates and early-career planners
• Architects and designers

What participants will learn

• Structure a site appraisal from brief to conclusion
• Identify physical, environmental, access and regulatory constraints
• Test indicative development capacity and options
• Present findings, assumptions and residual risks clearly

Curriculum outline

1. Module 1

   Framing the appraisal

   • Clarifying the client question and decision to be supported
   • Desk study sources and site reconnaissance

2. Module 2

   Constraints and opportunities

   • Topography, drainage, access and servicing
   • Environmental and land-use considerations
   • Regulatory context and how to record uncertainty

3. Module 3

   Options and reporting

   • Indicative capacity testing and option comparison
   • Structuring an appraisal report and its evidence base

Expected practical outcomes

• A worked site appraisal structure you can reuse
• A constraints and opportunities plan for a sample site
• A clearer separation of evidence, assumption and professional opinion

Prerequisites

• Some exposure to development or planning projects is helpful