Land is critical to every housebuilder – without it we would not be able to build the homes required to meet the country’s demands.

The Government has set a target of 300,000 new homes a year; in 2018-19 we managed an impressive 241,335 but this is still short of what is required. As an industry we need to identify more land development opportunities to close that gap.

At Cotswold Homes we do not ‘land bank’ and rely heavily on engaging with our stakeholders to ensure we continue to build top quality, sustainable homes.

As Land Director I often meet landowners who are wary of housebuilders and initially this can be quite daunting for both parties. We need to be comfortable that a relationship can be established which ultimately revolves around trust.

My advice to anyone starting the land development process is to make yourself familiar with any housebuilder you may be involved with; understand their planning strategy and internal processes. You will soon know whether you can forge a good working relationship.

Your asset is unique and needs to be managed accordingly, not in a ‘one size fits all’ way. There may be many hurdles during the Planning process and it is essential you feel able to work together to overcome any challenges.

We’re delighted with our current surge of activity on the land front and have recently submitted two planning applications.

The first is in Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham for 103 new homes and the second is in Potley Lane, Corsham, Wiltshire for 14 new homes adjacent to our recently completed Corsham Rise development.

My name is Liam Rinn and for an informal chat about realising the potential of your land please contact me 01454 335930.