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Inside Property Development
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About this listen

 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 Economics Education Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Finance
Episodes
  • Land, Planning, and Viability: The Hidden Challenges of Building Homes with Michael Keaveny Part 2

    Land, Planning, and Viability: The Hidden Challenges of Building Homes with Michael Keaveny Part 2
    Oct 7 2025
    Are modern methods of construction really the answer to the UK’s housing crisis, or are there deeper challenges holding back development? Michael Keaveny, Director of Land and Development at Grainger PLC, to further discuss the realities of property development in the UK. They discuss why innovation alone isn’t enough, how regulations like Gateway 2 impact viability, and what’s really needed to deliver more affordable housing. This conversation will give you a clearer understanding of the obstacles, and opportunities, that are shaping the UK´s home building industry. KEY TAKEAWAYS Innovation, including Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), is not a silver bullet. Builders are not Luddites; if a new way of doing things is better and cheaper, they adopt it. At Grainger, specialist subcontractors who have the expertise to ensure each system e.g. Foundations and cladding are installed correctly and efficiently, do the design. Making the building more practical and buildable. Most of the time building rules are made by people who have no practical experience of building homes. If you've got a lot of money going out before any starts coming in, it completely changes the numbers and makes things unviable. Banning off-plan sales to international investors makes it much harder to finance and build new homes. High construction costs and slim margins mean it’s not viable for developers to build homes that ordinary people can afford. It is far too big of a risk. Without external financial support, e.g. subsidies, affordable housing isn’t viable under current market conditions. BEST MOMENTS “If it’s more expensive than traditional building, it’s got no business case.” “Gateway two has stopped a load of schemes coming forward.” “The only way we could build much cheaper flats is if the cost of construction dropped.” “The message is getting through because development has stopped.” “People who would head towards nimbyism, what they're really voting for is really to block the next generation.” EPISODE RESOURCES Part 1 - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/land-planning-and-viability-the-hidden/id1750859336?i=1000729415826 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 multi-million-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/
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Land, Planning, and Viability: The Hidden Challenges of Building Homes with Michael Keaveny

    Land, Planning, and Viability: The Hidden Challenges of Building Homes with Michael Keaveny
    Sep 30 2025
    DESCRIPTION In this episode, Paul is joined by Michael Keaveny, Director of Land and Development at Grainger PLC, whose career spans decades in the property development sector, from hands-on project management to leading major urban regeneration projects. Together, they discuss the realities facing today’s property developers, including exploring why SME developers are disappearing, the mounting challenges of viability, and the complex economics behind affordable and social housing. Mike and Paul unpack the myths around land banking, reveal the true impact of planning delays, and discuss why the current system often fails to deliver the homes the UK needs. KEY TAKEAWAYS Developers are not land banking, they are building on it as fast as the market can absorb. The biggest issue in property development is viability. Balancing land costs, construction expenses, affordable housing requirements, and market values is not possible for many sites. Delivering affordable and social housing is rarely viable without the provision of significant subsidies. Even when the land is provided for free. High affordable housing targets can make projects unviable, especially for smaller sites. Flexibility and realistic expectations are needed to ensure developments can proceed. Developers are not the villains - most want to build quality homes and contribute to communities, but are hampered by systemic challenges. The loss of SME developers reduces industry capacity, innovation, and competition, making it harder to meet national housing targets and address the housing crisis. BEST MOMENTS “No developer, especially not large house builders, could possibly buy a site and then sit on it and hope the value of the land goes up. It’s absolute rubbish.” “Viability is the biggest issue in development. If it doesn’t stack up, it doesn’t get built…simple as that.” “If you want the housing crisis solved, you need to start listening to the people that are trying to solve it.” “Affordable housing is a land value tax. Every single affordable home has a negative land value attached to it.” 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 multi-million-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/
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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • Maximizing Value in Land, Planning, and Design Off-Market Deals and £1 Options

    Maximizing Value in Land, Planning, and Design Off-Market Deals and £1 Options
    Sep 23 2025
    DESCRIPTION Are you ready to unlock the real secrets of successful property development? In this episode, Paul draws on his 40+ years of experience to reveal why the smartest developers focus on planning, design, and off-market deals to maximize value and minimize risk. This episode includes practical strategies, insider tips, and the mindset you need to thrive in today’s property market. KEY TAKEAWAYS Developers need to understand planning law and how various financing structures work themselves. Relying solely on consultants is not sufficient, they do not see the big picture e.g. an architect won´t know how to negotiate land deals that work. Finding off-market deals and minimizing competition is crucial. Sourcing property deals off-market helps avoid bidding wars and protects profit margins. Clever negotiation and securing opportunities on the best possible terms e.g. Using £1 option agreements and optimizing planning and design, developers can maximize value and profit before entering the most risky and costly stage which is building. BEST MOMENTS “In property development the risk is really how much time you need to spend on things, how much money and how much expertise you need.” "All of the clever money and the value is created way before you get to the building bit." "Being overly reliant on consultants is pretty much the worst thing you could do, and probably the biggest mistake that I see people make." "Even now after 40 plus years, 90% of my deals are done on £1 option agreements, even though I could go just slapping money down, buying things if I really wanted to." "Property development is all really about finding the best, minimising competition and then adding maximum value so that you've de-risked the process before you start. That's the key." EPISODE RESOURCES £1 property option agreements - https://www.ivoox.com/the-power-of-1-option-agreements-my-audios-mp3_rf_155852828_1.html 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/
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    19 mins
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