Inside Property Development

Paul Higgs
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Inside Property Development is a no-nonsense show that rolls up its sleeves and digs into how the world of land, planning and property development really works in practice, providing rare access industry insiders and valuable insights into real-world development deals, as well as keeping you up to date with the latest industry news.  Colourful and at times controversial, the show focuses on how to do development the right way and aims to inspire and empower developers of all levels, as well as other professionals in the both the private and public sectors, to work together to build more and better homes that we can all be proud of. Connect with us on our socials for more educational content to help you achieve success in development. Millbank Land Academy Website: www.millbanklandacademy.co.uk Millbank Group Website: www.millbankgroup.co.uk Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgs Connect on Facebook: www.facebook.com/paul.higgs.50 Join our community on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MillbankLandAcademy See all episodes on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@millbanklandacademy1266 

  1. Avoid This Property Development Mistake and Build a Future That Lasts

    4 DAYS AGO

    Avoid This Property Development Mistake and Build a Future That Lasts

    In this episode Paul talks through the significant barriers faced by house building developers, emphasising the critical issues of land availability, planning complexities, and the current skills shortage in the construction industry, Paul shares insights on the importance of understanding the development process and not overly relying on consultants. KEY TAKEAWAYS Land and Planning Challenges: The primary barriers to growth for house building developers are the cost and availability of viable land, along with the complexities and delays in the planning system. These issues have been persistent and are worsening, leading to a significant housing shortage. Skills Shortage in Construction: There is a critical skills shortage in the construction industry due to a lack of training and apprenticeships over the years. This has made the actual building process more challenging, compounding the difficulties faced by developers. Over-Reliance on Consultants: Many developers make the mistake of being overly reliant on their consultants, particularly architects and planning consultants. It is crucial for developers to have a comprehensive understanding of the entire development process to effectively manage and instruct their consultants. Importance of Knowledge and Experience: For smaller developers, possessing a certain level of knowledge and experience is essential to navigate the complexities of property development. This knowledge helps in managing the various consultants and ensuring that the development process runs smoothly. The Insider System: A structured approach, referred to as the Insider System, is essential for successful property development. This system emphasises the importance of instructing consultants rather than merely asking for their input, highlighting the developer's role in coordinating the entire process to achieve optimal outcomes. BEST MOMENTS "The cost and availability of viable land and the planning system are the biggest barriers to growth for house building developers." "Building in a sustainable way, and in particular, protecting and looking after nature is a massively important thing." "When developers become overly reliant on their consultants, particularly architects and planning consultants, that is usually where things can go very, very wrong." ABOUT THE HOST  Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents. Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know!  Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University.   CONTACT METHOD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgs Millbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.uk Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficial YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

    23 min
  2. The Future of Housing: Challenges & Solutions for Small Developers

    22 AUG

    The Future of Housing: Challenges & Solutions for Small Developers

    In this episode, Paul sits down with property developers Phill Williams and James Emmons  to discuss the issues that are preventing SMEs from building new homes in the UK. Including some of the things that can be done to mitigate the risks that are making this problem worse. Paul also shares the details of a new piece of software he is creating to help developers very quickly identify whether a site is financially viable or not. KEY TAKEAWAYS The chance to develop on the grey belt is a once in a lifetime opportunity for developers. Planning in the UK is so slow and complicated that most SMEs can no longer build. They don´t have the skills to get through planning or the necessary cashflow. Dodgy lenders are actively feeding off of the complexity of the UK´s building system. Some lenders deliberately withhold funds at crucial drawdown points, knowing that the developer will no longer be able to fund the deal. The lender then takes it off of them and makes the money themselves. Often, inexperienced developers make the deal, only to realize later they missed something, and the numbers don’t stack up. Affordability is the big elephant in the room – when sales are too slow the risk for the developer becomes too high. Per sq. ft build costs has reached the point where in some parts of the country, especially where property prices are low, there is no way to make a profit. BEST MOMENTS “Someone has got to de-risk and create the opportunities for other smaller developers to build.” “Stacking the schemes correctly is absolutely crucial.” “Modular, in my opinion, isn’t going to be the main thing that solves the housing crisis.” “Modular manufacturers don’t really understand the land and planning market well enough.” “Partial funding to mitigate or share risk, I think is a way forward.” “Coming up with the scheme that's going to maximize land values is really the art of property development.” “It's really important to pay good tradespeople on time and pay them fair rates.” EPISODE RESOURCES Land Economics episode - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/land-economics- 101/id1750859336?i=1000711086989 ABOUT THE HOST  Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years & experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents. Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know!  Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University.   CONTACT METHOD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgs Millbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.uk Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficial YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

    1h 6m
  3. Conquering Modern Design, Planning, and Urban Challenges with Esther Kurland part 1

    22 AUG

    Conquering Modern Design, Planning, and Urban Challenges with Esther Kurland part 1

    For this episode, Paul is joined by veteran planner Esther Kurland, the director of UDL, who has extensive experience, including roles at London Transport, the GLA, and several other local authorities. Esther provides an in-depth look at the challenges property developers currently face, how we got here and, importantly, how these issues can be overcome. Including, multi-time cities, planning for objectives rather than by numbers and communal spaces e.g. Play areas being shared by small groups of neighbours, which could change the density matrix. KEY TAKEAWAYS Esther's personal experience of living in a poorly designed housing estate sparked her interest in urban planning. Planning policy is still too complex.  Developers must now achieve multiple objectives including growth, public good, and financial viability. Some planners think they exist to facilitate growth, others think they exist to facilitate community good and each type of planner tends to only focus on that one thing. You need a certain density of people to get neighbourhood facilities to work. If you only build suburbs, you end up needing expensive transport infrastructure. If you plan for quality, you automatically produce a development that is the correct density for the site. Esther explains how that happens. Planning policies that say what they are trying to achieve e.g. Good ventilation encourages designers to innovate. Local authorities are critically under-resourced so developers must be prepared to engage more collaboratively. BEST MOMENTS “We literally took the policies out of those 20 different documents and put them in one little concertina booklet that you could put in a pocket.” "We seem to have been going through planning reform forever. It will settle down now, but we're still not there." “The planning system has become more and more housing target driven.” "I think we're building a lot of slums, basically in some of the schemes we see in the highest densities." EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.urbandesignlearning.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-kurland-33017115 ABOUT THE HOST  Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents. Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group.  In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know!  Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University.   CONTACT METHOD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgs Millbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.uk Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficial YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

    57 min
  4. SME Developers & the Grey Belt: Two Game-Changers for Solving the Housing Crisis

    22 AUG

    SME Developers & the Grey Belt: Two Game-Changers for Solving the Housing Crisis

    In this episode Paul takes a deep dive into the government’s emerging “Grey Belt” concept — and whether it could be the planning breakthrough needed to ease the UK housing crisis. Drawing on over 40 years in the housebuilding industry, Paul explains what Grey Belt land is likely to mean in practice, how it differs from traditional Green Belt, and why the viability of sites will be the make-or-break factor. You’ll hear real-world examples, policy insights, and practical tips on how developers — especially SMEs — can identify and approach these sites. If you’re serious about development opportunities in a changing planning landscape, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss. KEY TAKEAWAYS The “Grey Belt” will likely refer to poor-quality or previously developed Green Belt land, often with existing buildings or dereliction. Public perception of the Green Belt is often romanticised — not all of it is pristine countryside. Proximity to existing settlements and sustainable transport links will be critical for planning approval. Viability is the key issue — high affordable housing requirements could stall many potential sites. Tools like LandTech’s Land Insight can help identify likely Grey Belt opportunities. The policy could open up new sites for development — but it won’t solve the housing crisis alone. BEST MOMENTS “There shouldn’t be any sides in this — we should all be working together to create good housing and places.” “Not all Green Belt is beautiful fields and forests — some of it is derelict and crying out for redevelopment.” “The million-dollar question is: how messy does a Green Belt site need to be before it’s classed as Grey Belt?” “If viability isn’t handled sensibly, very few of these sites will ever be developed.” HOST BIO Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents. Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know!  Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University.   CONTACT METHOD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgs Millbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.uk Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficial YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment

    21 min
  5. The Power of £1 Option Agreements & My 100% Planning Success Strategy

    22 AUG

    The Power of £1 Option Agreements & My 100% Planning Success Strategy

    Paul dives into one of the most powerful tools in a developer’s toolkit – the £1 option agreement. Despite sounding too good to be true, option agreements are a tried-and-tested way of controlling land without needing huge amounts of upfront cash. Paul explains what they are, how they work, why landowners agree to them, and how they can be used to unlock serious planning gain. KEY TAKEAWAYS Option agreements give you control, not obligation – you can secure land while buying time to add value, without committing if the market changes. Landowners benefit because developers take on the cost and risk of increasing the site’s value. The real profit comes from planning uplift – using knowledge and expertise to turn a £1m site into a £2m+ opportunity. Negotiating the right price is critical – get it wrong and the deal isn’t viable. Option agreements can also be sold or assigned on, meaning you can profit without ever completing on the land. Success depends on deep planning knowledge – anticipating objections, reverse-engineering the process, and effectively “doing the planners’ job for them.” Paul’s approach has helped him maintain a 100% planning approval track record over four decades. BEST MOMENTS “Why would I spend millions buying land if I can control it with a pound and a piece of paper?” “Option agreements buy you time – and in property development, time is everything.” “The name of the game is making the pie as big as possible, and then negotiating how it gets divided.” “I’ve never had a landowner pull out of an option agreement in 30+ years – when done right, they’re rock solid.” ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years’ experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents. He worked his way up from small refurb projects to becoming Head of Land at Barratt Developments before founding his own award-winning development company, Millbank Group, in 2002. In 2013, Paul launched the Millbank Land Academy – the UK’s first training company dedicated to teaching developers the strategies the big housebuilders would rather keep to themselves. He is also a founding investor in PropTech leader LandTech and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHOD LinkedIn: Paul Higgs Millbank Land Academy: millbanklandacademy.co.uk Instagram: @paulhiggsofficial YouTube: Inside Property Development

    30 min

  6. 5 AUG

    The Hidden Homelessness Epidemic & Modern Methods Of Construction: Dave Hughes

    Paul discusses with David Hughes, design director of Hughes Architects, focusing on the pressing issue of temporary housing in the UK. They delve into the staggering costs incurred by councils on temporary accommodation, particularly in London, where the financial burden has reached £114 million per month. KEY TAKEAWAYS Temporary Housing Crisis: There are currently 117,000 households in temporary accommodation in the UK, with London accounting for about half of that number. The financial burden on councils is significant, with London councils spending £114 million per month on temporary housing. Need for Immediate Solutions: The discussion emphasizes the urgency of addressing the temporary housing crisis, suggesting that while building permanent social housing is essential, it typically takes four to five years. In the meantime, there is a need for quicker, temporary solutions to provide better living conditions for families currently in substandard accommodations. Modular Housing Proposal: A proposed solution involves using modular housing units on unused or stalled sites, which can be set up quickly and leased to councils for temporary use. This approach aims to provide better living conditions than hotels or B&Bs while being more cost-effective than current temporary housing options. Planning Challenges: The planning process is identified as a significant barrier to delivering housing quickly. The complexity and length of the planning requirements often delay projects, and there is a call for a more flexible approach to temporary housing that recognizes the urgent need for crisis responses. Collaboration with Local Authorities: Engaging with local authorities and private landowners is crucial for the success of the modular housing initiative. The goal is to identify suitable sites and run feasibility studies to determine the viability of temporary housing solutions, ultimately aiming to alleviate the financial and social pressures of the current housing crisis. BEST MOMENTS Dave: "The ridiculous amount that councils are spending on temporary housing is a massive financial issue and a quality of life issue for people." Paul: "The problem is, planners at the moment act like they're the police, when actually it is an emergency they should be acting like the fire service." Dave: "We can get temporary planning permission for five years for temporary housing on unused sites, and the modular providers then lease those homes to the council." ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents. Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHOD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgs Millbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.uk Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficial YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

    1h 38m

  7. 29 JUL

    Q&A Designing the Future

    In this episode Paul answers your questions about current trends in property design, the balance between creativity and functionality, and the impact of technology on future developments. Paul discusses the influence of modern methods of construction and sustainability on design aesthetics, highlighting the importance of collaboration between developers and local authorities in the planning process. KEY TAKEAWAYS Design Trends in Property Development: Current design trends are influenced by modern methods of construction (MMC) and sustainability, leading to a mix of innovative and sometimes box-like aesthetics. Smaller developers often excel in creating well-designed properties due to their focus on niche sites. Balancing Creativity and Functionality: Successful property development starts with functionality, ensuring that buildings meet market needs and provide pleasant living conditions. While creativity is important, it must be balanced with practicality to avoid costly mistakes during construction. Collaboration with Planning Authorities: Developers should work collaboratively with local planning authorities to navigate the complexities of planning applications. Understanding the pressures faced by planners can help foster a more cooperative relationship, ultimately leading to smoother approvals. De-risking Projects: To mitigate risks in property development, it is crucial to add value before starting a project, such as securing off-market opportunities and conducting thorough research on site constraints. This proactive approach can create a buffer against unforeseen challenges. Sustainability Challenges: Building sustainably often comes with higher costs, which can be a significant barrier. As regulations evolve and sustainable practices become more mainstream, the industry may find more cost-effective methods to achieve high sustainability standards. BEST MOMENTS "One of the things I personally actually don't like about a lot of modular and MMC stuff is you can tell that that's what it is... when it's not done well does look very box-like." "The best developers, in my opinion, they are super knowledgeable, they want to do good stuff, and they are really, really into architecture and design." "Persimmon, not good. Everything that's bad about property development and house building, in my opinion." "We need to make things as easy as humanly possible for local authority planners and for planning departments." "The more knowledge, skill and expertise and the better professional team you've got, the better decisions you will be able to make." ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents. Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHOD LinkedIn: ⁠  / paul-higgs⁠   Millbank Land Academy: ⁠https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.uk⁠ Instagram - ⁠  / paulhiggsofficial⁠   YouTube - ⁠   / @insidepropertydevelopment   This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/⁠

    56 min

  8. 22 JUL

    How Today´s Planning System Puts All of the Cost Burdens on Developers

    Today, Paul is once again joined by the Director of Town Centre Regeneration Ltd, David Van Der Lande. He is a land development consultant who specialises in assessing viability and land assembly. David is also a compulsory purchase expert. This time he and Paul discuss land valuation, the impact of affordable housing requirements, access to finance, town centre regeneration and more. KEY TAKEAWAYS Paul and David share real-world examples to demonstrate how challenging ticking the viability box has become. It is possible to overcome local authorities who use policy to slow development. But, doing so, is time-consuming. Housing associations do not want to have to manage groups of 2 or 3 affordable homes scattered throughout an area. Raising the trigger level for affordable housing to say 25 houses will result in more homes being built, overall. Most councils will not accept the need for there to be a bigger profit margin when the market is falling. Large developers have access to cheaper finance than smaller developers. This fact is not taken into account by planners. Currently, developers are shouldering all of the costs of addressing society´s problems e.g. affordable housing. BEST MOMENTS “Most policies, allow the flex in the affordable housing elements.” “The actual costs to the council increase substantially for every appeal that they lose.” “There are ways to cut through the complications.” Want to improve your ability to quickly assess the viability of a development site? go to https://bitly.com/MLASCORE. There you will find Paul´s free MLA Scorecard – a short quiz that tests your current land viability abilities and helps you to instantly improve them. Over the past 40 years, Paul hasachieved 100% planning application success. So, you are sure to learn a ton. ABOUT THE GUEST https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-van-der-lande-2b947413 Previous episode - https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/the-role-compulsory-purchase- orders-will-play-in-uk/id1750859336?i=1000716397419 ABOUT THE HOST  Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years 39; experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents. Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know!  Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University.   CONTACT METHOD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgs Millbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.uk Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficial YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

    43 min
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About

Inside Property Development is a no-nonsense show that rolls up its sleeves and digs into how the world of land, planning and property development really works in practice, providing rare access industry insiders and valuable insights into real-world development deals, as well as keeping you up to date with the latest industry news.  Colourful and at times controversial, the show focuses on how to do development the right way and aims to inspire and empower developers of all levels, as well as other professionals in the both the private and public sectors, to work together to build more and better homes that we can all be proud of. Connect with us on our socials for more educational content to help you achieve success in development. Millbank Land Academy Website: www.millbanklandacademy.co.uk Millbank Group Website: www.millbankgroup.co.uk Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgs Connect on Facebook: www.facebook.com/paul.higgs.50 Join our community on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MillbankLandAcademy See all episodes on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@millbanklandacademy1266 

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