Land West of Turners Hill Road, Crawley Down

In 2012, the owners of approximately 70 acres of land west of Turners Hill Road in Crawley Down approached Searls Land for advice. 

The landowners recognised that their land may have longer-term development potential but were unsure which route to take or how best to unlock its value. 

Given the scale of the site, there were relatively few land promoters at the time with the experience, resources and financial capability to take on a project of this size. 

Searls Land advised the landowners on their options before running a competitive process to identify the right strategic land promoter. Following negotiations, terms were agreed with a promoter capable of taking a long-term approach to the site. 

A 13-Year Promotion Journey 

Strategic land can require patience. 

Following the appointment, the site was actively promoted through the planning system over the next 13 years, with the promoter investing the time, expertise and capital necessary to pursue its development potential. 

That long-term strategy was eventually rewarded when the land successfully secured a draft allocation for residential development. 

For the landowners, this represented a major change in the position of their land. After more than a decade of promotion, there was now considerably greater certainty around its prospects for future development and, as a result, its underlying value. 

When the Landowner’s Priorities Changed 

The original strategy had been to continue with the promotion of the land through the planning process. However, following the draft allocation, the landowner’s circumstances and priorities had changed. 

Rather than waiting for the site to progress through the remaining planning stages, the landowner decided they would prefer the certainty of an unconditional sale at that point. 

This is where the original promoter-selection process proved particularly important. 

Because the promoter selected by Searls Land had both the appetite and financial capability to acquire a site of this scale, they were able to respond to the landowner’s change in circumstances and agree an unconditional purchase. 

Achieving Value Without Waiting for Planning Permission 

Selling before planning permission would ordinarily mean accepting a significant discount to the potential development value of the land. 

However, the strength of the draft allocation, combined with the promoter’s understanding of the site and the terms negotiated, enabled the landowners to agree an unconditional sale at a price close to development value – without having to wait for the site to secure a full planning permission. 

For the landowners, this provided the best of both worlds: the benefit of the significant increase in value created through 13 years of strategic promotion, combined with the certainty of an unconditional sale when they decided the time was right. 

The Result 

Circa 70 acres | 13 years of strategic land promotion | Draft allocation secured | Unconditional sale close to development value 

Land west of Turners Hill Road demonstrates why choosing a land promoter should never be based on headline commercial terms alone. 

Strategic land promotion can take many years, and circumstances can change considerably during that time. A promoter needs not only the planning expertise to unlock a site’s potential, but also the resources and financial strength to see the process through – and the flexibility to respond when a landowner’s priorities change. 

The promoter Searls Land selected in 2012 was able to do exactly that. 

If you own land with longer-term development potential, getting the right advice before entering into a promotion agreement can have consequences many years down the line. Searls Land can help you understand your options, create competition between promoters and select the partner best placed to maximise the long-term value of your land.