Preconstruction & Delivery Strategy
Complex sites. What order unlocks the most value?
On a complex site, the order of work decides the return: which phase comes first, what infrastructure and access each part needs, when land is serviced and sold, and how much money is tied up in between. When this is not thought through, schemes carry infrastructure costs years before any income, logistics do not work on a tight site, land goes to market before it is ready, and one phase gets in the way of the next. We plan it from a construction and commercial point of view, and test each route in the numbers before it is fixed in the planning consent.
Who it is for
For master developers, landowners and land promoters, developers, joint venture partners and public bodies with land to bring forward. It works best early, before the masterplan, phasing plan and planning obligations are fixed, but it can also be used to review a strategy already under way. For running the scheme as a whole, see development management. For testing a single site or building, see feasibility studies.
Sites we work on
- Masterplans and large sitesMulti-phase sites where the order of the phases, the infrastructure and the parcel sales decides the return.
- Constrained London sitesTight sites next to railways, highways, utilities and neighbours, where access, logistics and third-party agreements set what can be built and when.
- Regeneration schemesEstates and brownfield land where existing residents, businesses or uses have to be moved, kept running or phased around.
- Complex mixed-use schemesHomes, commercial space and public realm in one scheme, with different buyers, operators and timings to line up.
What it covers
- Phasing strategyThe order in which the site is built and released, tested against demand, infrastructure, planning obligations and cash flow.
- Infrastructure, utilities and servicingRoads, drainage, power, water and diversions: what each phase or plot needs, when it is needed and what it costs, including capacity and lead-in times.
- Access and logisticsHow the site is reached and worked: haul routes, compounds, cranes, rail and highway interfaces, neighbours and occupied phases.
- Planning and obligationsHow the phasing plan, conditions, Section 106 triggers and affordable housing delivery line up with the build and sales programme.
- ProgrammesA master programme from consent through enabling works, infrastructure and each phase, showing the critical path and the lead-in times.
- Disposal and parcel strategyWhat to build, sell or bring forward with a partner, how to define parcels or plots so they appeal to buyers, and when to release them.
- Cash flow and appraisalsInfrastructure and build spend set against receipts and sales, with the funding need and return for each route and the key assumptions tested.
How it works
- BriefThe site, the masterplan or consent, the objectives and the constraints already known.
- Test the constraintsInfrastructure, utilities, access, neighbours, planning obligations and the market, and how each shapes the order of work.
- Model the routesTwo or three phasing and disposal strategies, each with a programme, logistics plan and cash flow, compared on the same basis.
- RecommendThe strategy to take, the programme and logistics to deliver it, and the decisions and dates to protect.
Questions we answer
- Which phase or part of the scheme should come first, and why?
- What do access, utilities and neighbours allow, and when?
- What infrastructure does each phase need, and when does the money have to be spent?
- What should be sold, built or brought forward with a partner, and when?
- How much funding does each route need, and which gives the best return?
What you receive
- Phasing and disposal strategy
- Infrastructure, utilities and servicing plan, with costs and lead-in times
- Master programme and logistics strategy
- Cash flow and appraisal for each route
Example
Regeneration and constrained sites in London
Philip has planned the preconstruction and delivery of major regeneration schemes, where rail interfaces, utility diversions and construction access through neighbouring land decided the order in which the site could be built, and where the phasing had to keep the cash flow and the sales programme working.
Guides
Common questions
Do you design the scheme?
No. The architect and masterplanner design it. We work alongside them so that phasing, servicing, logistics and the disposal strategy are built into the design, and test it from a construction and commercial point of view.
When is the best time to do this?
Before the planning application is submitted, so the phasing plan, conditions and Section 106 triggers reflect how the site will actually be built and sold. It is still worth doing after consent, before contracts are let or land is marketed.
Do you value the land or parcels?
No. Values come from agents’ evidence and, where needed, a formal valuation. We use them in the appraisals to compare the routes.
Can you help carry the strategy out?
Yes. We can act as development manager through the enabling works, infrastructure and disposals, or support your own team at the key decisions.