Development / Project Briefs (L3)

Question 1

What is the difference between a development and project brief and what content what you include in both?

Answer 1

The purpose of a development brief is to stimulate interest and help make a business case for the development of a site or a building refurbishment.

Project briefs are intended to influence and control the form of issues that a desired development will take. Usually prepared once the development brief has become sufficiently advanced. This is then often shared with external professionals to progress their work.

• Objectives
• Essential Site Details including history, location, accessibility, services, and utilities.
• Environmental features and issues
• The consultation processes
• Planning policy Background
• Relevant planning documentation
• Land ownership details
• Market conditions and trends

Question 2

Could you explain in more detail how you conducted the post tender meetings with the PRS bidders?

Question 3

What information did you include in your development brief and project brief for your case study?

Question 4

What are the stages to developing a brief?

Question 5

When would you use a development brief over a project brief?

Question 6

How have you learnt the importance of highlighting the relevant site issues?

Question 7

Why is it important to undertake extensive due diligence prior to briefing the architects?

Answer 7

In advising my client what offer level to submit at the site. The more information I have at the start of the process means, the architects can draw a suitable scheme, meaning my advice to the client can be as accurate as possible, allowing my client to be as competitive as possible on their offer.

Question 8

Where would you find Local Authorities housing density requirement?

Answer 8

Depends on the local authority, often can be found in the SHLAA or Local Plan/ Local Plan supporting documents e.g. Core Strategy

Question 9

Would you speak to other internal stakeholders in order to add value?

Answer 9

Sales team = to guage an understanding of a change in layout that might achieve a premium

Planning director = to see if he thinks value could be added at a future date through a S73 or a S96a

Question 10

What were the parking standards in Andover?

Question 11

What was the required number of bedrooms in Aldershot from the SHMA?

Question 12

What legal and regulatory issues would you typically consider within the project brief?

Answer 12

Planning permission status
Compliance with potential s106 obligations
Listed Buildings in close proximity
Conservation areas
Whether there’s a restrictive covenant

Question 13

What is the next stage for PRS appointments? What is included in HOTs?

Question 14

What did you include within your Development Brief?

Answer 14

Aff housing
Unit mix
Access proposal
Neighbouring site for density, height
Planning History

Question 15

What if you thought some of the comments from your sales team, for example, weren’t going to add value?

Answer 15

I would ask for more peoples opinions. Especially colleagues who have dealt with simialr sites.

Question 16

What was the required number of bedrooms in St Albans from the SHMA?

Answer 16

St Albans:
1 bed = 5%
2 bed = 20%
3 bed = 40%
4+ bed = 35%

Question 17

What was the affordable housing split required at Bracknell?

Question 18

What did you advise to add more value to the Clapham Park layout?

Answer 18

Increasing the size of the houses and suggestion of altering the layout so we have more houses having the Open Public Space and countryside beyond as I thought this could add more value.

Question 19

What legal and regulatory issues would you typically consider within the project brief?

Answer 19

Planning permission status
Compliance with potential s106 obligations
Listed Buildings in close proximity
Conservation areas
Whether there’s a restrictive covenan