How Do I Put My Land Forward for Development?

Written by the Revive Estates Group team — independent land development consultants helping landowners across the UK understand and unlock the development potential of their land, property and buildings.

How Do I Put My Land Forward for Development?

If you own land that you believe could be suitable for development, you have several possible routes for getting it considered.

The most obvious is often a Call for Sites, where a council invites landowners, developers and other interested parties to identify land that may be suitable and available for future development.

However, a Call for Sites is not the only consideration.

Depending on the circumstances, you may also need to consider:

• the council’s Local Plan and emerging planning policies;
• whether a Call for Sites is currently open;
• whether the site has previously been promoted;
• whether there is an existing planning application or permission;
• whether the site could be suitable for a different planning route;
• whether the land could benefit from a planning promotion strategy; and
• whether there are site-specific constraints that need to be addressed first.

The important point is that putting land forward for development is a process, not simply a form to complete.

Start by Understanding What Your Land Could Potentially Be Used For

Before approaching a council or promoting your land, it is worth establishing what type of development might realistically be appropriate.

For example, the opportunity could potentially involve:

• residential development;
• commercial or employment development;
• mixed-use development;
• conversion of an existing building;
• equestrian or rural redevelopment;
• development of a large garden or paddock;
• redevelopment of previously developed land;
• strategic housing development; or
• another use identified by local planning policy.

The most appropriate use will depend on the site’s location, planning designation, surrounding development, access, infrastructure and other constraints.

It is therefore usually better to start with the site rather than deciding in advance that the land must become housing.

Check the Current Local Plan

The next step is to understand what the local council’s planning strategy currently says about the area.

The Local Plan can provide important information about:

• settlement boundaries;
• housing requirements;
• employment land;
• development allocations;
• Green Belt;
• protected land;
• strategic growth locations;
• infrastructure proposals; and
• areas where future development is being considered.

You should also establish whether the council is currently preparing or reviewing its Local Plan.

This matters because an active plan-making process can create opportunities for landowners to put forward sites for consideration.

Is There a Call for Sites?

If the council is running a Call for Sites, this may be the most obvious route for putting your land forward.

A Call for Sites normally asks landowners and other interested parties to provide information about potential development sites.

The council can then assess those sites alongside other potential development opportunities and the wider evidence supporting its Local Plan.

However, each council operates its process differently.

You should therefore check:

• when the Call for Sites opened;
• when submissions close;
• what types of development are being sought;
• what information is required;
• whether there are minimum or maximum site sizes;
• whether previously submitted sites can be resubmitted or updated; and
• how the council intends to assess the sites.

If you want to understand the process itself, see our guide:

What Is a Call for Sites? A Landowner’s Guide to Putting Land Forward for Development

What Information Will You Need?

The information required will depend on the council and the particular Call for Sites process.

However, you should expect to provide information that allows the council to understand the site and its potential.

This can include:

• the site’s location;
• the site boundary;
• the area of land;
• current land use;
• proposed development use;
• potential development capacity;
• ownership or control;
• availability;
• access arrangements;
• known planning constraints;
• infrastructure considerations;
• potential delivery timescale; and
• any other information requested by the council.

For a significant development opportunity, it can be useful to go further than simply providing the minimum information requested.

A clear explanation of why the site could contribute to the council’s development requirements can help the council understand the proposition being put forward.

How Do You Show That Your Land Is Suitable?

One of the most important questions is not simply whether the land is available, but whether it is suitable.

Factors that can affect suitability include:

• relationship with an existing settlement;
• access to roads and transport;
• access to services and facilities;
• public transport;
• flood risk;
• ecology;
• landscape impact;
• heritage constraints;
• topography;
• utilities and infrastructure;
• relationship with surrounding development; and
• relevant planning policy.

A site can be available but still be unsuitable.

Equally, a site that appears constrained at first sight may have a development opportunity if those constraints can realistically be addressed.

What If Your Land Is Green Belt?

Green Belt land can potentially be put forward for consideration, depending on the council’s process.

Being in the Green Belt does not prevent a landowner from identifying the land as a potential development site.

However, Green Belt land faces additional planning considerations and should not be promoted on the assumption that it will automatically be released.

The current 2026 National Planning Policy Framework requires councils to consider the Green Belt and, where relevant, Grey Belt when preparing their development plans.

Particular opportunities can also arise where land has a strong relationship with an existing settlement or a well-connected railway station.

Our guide explains how Green Belt release works:

What Happens When Green Belt Land Is Released for Development?

What If Your Land Could Be Grey Belt?

If the land is within the Green Belt, it may also be worth considering whether it could meet the current NPPF definition of Grey Belt.

Grey Belt remains Green Belt, but the current planning framework provides specific policies for certain development proposals involving Grey Belt land.

Potentially relevant characteristics can include:

• previously developed land;
• existing buildings or hardstanding;
• a close physical relationship with existing development;
• being physically contained by surrounding development; or
• a relatively weak contribution to certain Green Belt purposes.

These characteristics do not automatically make a site Grey Belt or suitable for development.

They may, however, justify further investigation before deciding how the land should be promoted.

Read more in our guide:

What Is Grey Belt Land and Why Does It Matter for Landowners?

Can You Put Agricultural Land Forward for Development?

Potentially.

Agricultural use does not automatically prevent land from being considered for future development.

However, the planning authority will need to consider whether the proposed development is appropriate in the location and whether there are more suitable alternatives.

For agricultural land, it can be particularly important to understand:

• the relationship with the nearest settlement;
• the quality and character of the surrounding landscape;
• access;
• flood risk;
• ecology;
• agricultural land considerations;
• Green Belt or other designations; and
• the council’s housing and development strategy.

A site should therefore be assessed on its individual characteristics rather than simply described as “agricultural land”.

Can Paddocks or Equestrian Land Be Put Forward?

Potentially, particularly where the land has a strong relationship with existing development or contains buildings, yards or other previously developed elements.

However, equestrian use does not automatically create development potential.

The council will still need to consider the site’s location, landscape, access, Green Belt position, surrounding development and other planning constraints.

If the land contains substantial existing equestrian buildings or hardstanding, it may also be worth considering whether the site has characteristics that justify a broader planning assessment.

Our guide to equestrian development potential explains this in more detail.

Can Previously Developed Land Be Put Forward?

Yes, and previously developed land can be particularly relevant to the planning process.

Brownfield or previously developed sites can sometimes offer opportunities for redevelopment, subject to the site’s location and constraints.

This could include:

• redundant commercial sites;
• former industrial land;
• underused yards;
• service areas;
• former employment sites;
• redundant buildings; or
• other previously developed areas.

However, previously developed does not automatically mean suitable for housing.

Issues such as contamination, access, flood risk, neighbouring uses, ecology and infrastructure can still be significant.

What Happens After You Put Your Land Forward?

Submitting your land is normally only the first stage.

The council may then:

1. check the submission;
2. request additional information;
3. assess the site’s suitability;
4. consider whether the land is available;
5. consider whether development is achievable;
6. compare the site with other potential sites;
7. consider the site within its wider planning strategy; and
8. decide whether it should progress towards potential allocation.

Even a site that performs well against some criteria may not ultimately be allocated.

The council has to consider the overall development strategy and the relative merits of competing sites.

Does Putting Land Forward Guarantee a Planning Allocation?

No.

This is an important distinction.

There can be a significant difference between:

• land that has simply been submitted;
• land that is being assessed;
• land identified as potentially suitable;
• land selected as a proposed allocation; and
• land with an adopted allocation and a realistic route to planning permission.

These stages can carry very different levels of planning risk and therefore very different land values.

Landowners should be cautious about assuming that a Call for Sites submission has already created residential development value.

Should You Submit the Land Yourself or Use a Land Promoter?

This depends on the site and your objectives.

A straightforward small site may be capable of being submitted directly by the landowner.

A larger or more complicated development opportunity may require a more strategic approach.

A land promoter can potentially help with matters such as:

• assessing the development opportunity;
• identifying an appropriate planning strategy;
• preparing and submitting information;
• engaging with the council;
• coordinating technical consultants;
• promoting the site through the planning process; and
• helping progress the site towards a planning permission or sale.

Land promotion is not appropriate for every site, and the terms of any promotion agreement need to be understood carefully before entering into one.

If you are considering whether promotion is appropriate, see:

What Is Land Promotion and Is It Right for Your Land?

What Should You Do Before Submitting Your Land?

Before putting a potentially valuable site forward, it is worth carrying out a basic development assessment.

At a minimum, consider:

• Planning: What does the current Local Plan say?
• Location: How well related is the site to an existing settlement?
• Access: Can the site be accessed safely and practically?
• Infrastructure: Can utilities and community infrastructure support development?
• Constraints: Are there flood, ecology, heritage or landscape issues?
• Green Belt: Is the land within the Green Belt or potentially Grey Belt?
• Development: What scale and type of development could realistically be considered?
• Market: Is there demand for the proposed development?
• Delivery: Could the development realistically be brought forward?

This helps avoid putting forward a site based purely on the assumption that undeveloped land near a settlement must have development potential.

What If Your Land Is Not Selected?

Not being selected does not necessarily mean that the land has no development potential.

A site may be rejected because of the council’s current strategy, a particular constraint, the availability of better-located alternatives or simply because the council does not need that particular type or amount of land at that point in the plan-making process.

The planning position can change over time.

Local Plans are reviewed, housing requirements change, infrastructure proposals emerge and national planning policy evolves.

For this reason, a landowner should understand why a site was not selected rather than simply assuming the opportunity has permanently disappeared.

Is Putting Land Forward for Development Worth Doing?

For some landowners, it can be an important step.

A Call for Sites or Local Plan process can provide a formal route for putting potential development land in front of the council at the point when it is considering future growth.

But the strongest approach is to put forward land with a clear understanding of:

• what the development opportunity could be;
• why the location may be suitable;
• what constraints need to be addressed;
• how the site fits into the council’s strategy; and
• what planning route could realistically take the site forward.

The objective should not simply be to get your land onto a list. It should be to understand whether the land has a credible development strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I put my land forward for development?

The most common route during Local Plan preparation is a council’s Call for Sites, where landowners and other interested parties can submit potential development sites for assessment. Other routes may also be available depending on the site’s circumstances and the council’s planning process.

Can I put my land forward if there is no Call for Sites?

Potentially. Councils use different processes and submission periods. Check the council’s Local Plan timetable, planning consultations and land availability evidence to establish whether there is another opportunity to suggest the site.

Can I put Green Belt land forward for development?

Potentially. Green Belt land can be submitted for consideration where the council’s process allows it. However, submitting the site does not mean that it will be removed from the Green Belt, allocated for development or granted planning permission.

Can agricultural land be put forward for development?

Potentially. Agricultural land can be submitted for consideration, but its suitability will depend on factors including location, settlement relationship, access, infrastructure, landscape, ecology, flood risk and planning policy.

Does putting land forward guarantee an allocation?

No. A submitted site is assessed alongside other potential sites and the council’s wider evidence. Only some sites may eventually be selected for allocation in the Local Plan.

Does putting land forward increase its value?

Not automatically. The planning prospects can improve if the site progresses through the planning process, but land value depends on the actual development potential, planning certainty, costs, infrastructure, market conditions and the likely route to delivery.

Should I use a land promoter?

It depends on the site and your objectives. Some landowners can submit straightforward sites themselves, while larger or more complex opportunities may benefit from professional planning and land promotion expertise.

What should I check before submitting my land?

Review the Local Plan, site location, settlement relationship, access, infrastructure, planning constraints, Green Belt or Grey Belt position, potential development scale and likely delivery route. Understanding these factors first can help you put forward a more credible proposition.

If you are considering putting land forward for development and want an initial view of its potential, contact Revive Estates Group for an initial discussion.