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Best practice in small sites delivery

Unlock smarter strategies and resources for successful small site development and disposal.

Explore strategies and practical tools to support efficient, high-quality outcomes in small site development and disposal. This page brings together a curated selection of resources to help you navigate key challenges, strengthen delivery practices, and learn from real-world examples across the sector.

Whether you're just starting out or refining your approach, these materials offer insights to support decision-making at every stage of the process.

You can search by keyword and filter resources by author, stakeholder, development stage, and delivery route. All resources are also available to download.

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Organisation

Development stage

Delivery route

Showing 1-10 of 12 results found

  • Case study of Barking and Dagenham's community led housing accelerator

    Author(s)

    LB Barking and Dagenham, Archio and Community Led Homes London

    Theme:

    Housebuilder diversification

    Organisation:

    Public Landowner

    Development stage:

    market engagement

    Delivery route:

    Public Sector land - Developer led delivery

    Added value in unlocking challenging sites

    helps to identify developers who can work with community led housing (CLH) groups. Accelerates the early stages of CLH group formation and aligns this with public land opportunities and developers

    Replicability

    a detailed process and structure for workshops is set out in the resources that can be adopted by other public landowners

    Innovation and social value:

    especially relevant to areas with little to no pre-existing CLH activity. Helps to align CLH groups with council objectives. Developer workshops identifies those who can work well with community groups
    Group of people at CLH accelerator workshop

  • Case study of Camden's engagement-led site identification and categorisation approach

    Author(s)

    LB Camden and Inner Circle Consulting

    Theme:

    Optimising delivery

    Organisation:

    Public Landowner

    Development stage:

    site identification
    due diligence and feasibility
    market engagement

    Delivery route:

    Public Sector land - Developer led delivery
    Public Sector land - Public Sector led delivery

    Added value in unlocking challenging sites

    maximises and diversifies delivery routes with a focus on SME’s, small RP’s and community led organisations

    Replicability

    allows for a replicable method of testing each site allowing for quick prioritisation. Landowner decision protocols developed are shared for replication by other public landowners

    Innovation and social value:

    community involvement in site identification process via an online platform successfully led to the identification of sites which the council may not have otherwise considered. Decision protocols are market tested maximising site deliverability
    Engagement-led Categorisation Protocols Report risk assessment pentagon

  • Case study of London CLTs delivery of housing on small sites

    Author(s)

    London CLT and OURI Labs

    Theme:

    Housebuilder diversification

    Organisation:

    Public Landowner
    Small Builder

    Development stage:

    market engagement

    Delivery route:

    Public Sector land - Developer led delivery
    Private Sector land - Developer led delivery

    Added value in unlocking challenging sites

    provides a comprehensive breakdown of the common challenges and lessons learnt in delivery shared with partners interested in supporting or doing community led housing (CLH)

    Replicability

    key lessons include realistic risk margins from London CLT delivery experience, St Clements approach using back to back acquisition to reduce risk and LB Ealing CLH site requirements document

    Innovation and social value:

    social value is intrinsic to CLH, active community participation being key to successful completion. Affordability is locked in perpetuity using the community land trust model
    Illustration of a new development in green environment

  • Guidance for small builders to deliver sustainable and healthy homes

    Author(s)

    Root and Branch Homes

    Theme:

    Optimising delivery

    Organisation:

    Small Builder

    Development stage:

    design and planning
    manufacturing and construction

    Delivery route:

    Public Sector land - Developer led delivery
    Public Sector land - Public Sector led delivery
    Private Sector land - Developer led delivery

    Added value in unlocking challenging sites

    provides a guide for small builders that draws on the experiences of small builders themselves in implementing sustainability polices in their developments

    Replicability

    provides practical prompts, case studies, and resources to meet housing demand, and build high-quality, energy-efficient homes across London

    Innovation and social value:

    covering project stages from planning to post-occupancy. The tool has the potential to support public and private sector collaboration on sustainability and foster a growing community of builders
    Illustration of a sustainable and environment friendly new development

  • Guidance for small sites development close to operational transport infrastructure

    Author(s)

    Places for London

    Theme:

    Optimising delivery

    Organisation:

    Public Landowner
    Small Builder

    Development stage:

    due diligence and feasibility

    Delivery route:

    Public Sector land - Developer led delivery
    Private Sector land - Developer led delivery

    Added value in unlocking challenging sites

    simplifies the process for small builders, making it clearer and enabling better self-selection of sites

    Replicability

    focusses on Places for London land which is pan London any developers or builders working next to transport infrastructure can benefit from this guide

    Innovation and social value:

    making the Infrastructure Protection process more accessible supports new market entrants and small developers
    CGI of a new small site development with adjacent green space and roads

  • Methodology for a borough to implement a Small Sites Design Code

    Author(s)

    GLA

    Theme:

    Planning guidance

    Organisation:

    Public Landowner

    Development stage:

    design and planning

    Delivery route:

    Public Sector land - Developer led delivery
    Public Sector land - Public Sector led delivery
    Private Sector land - Developer led delivery

    Added value in unlocking challenging sites

    encourages boroughs to quickly adopt design codes, map potential sites, and promotes incremental housing delivery

    Replicability

    highlights common site types with illustrated parameters, character types, consultation stages and monitoring post adoption wth case studies

    Innovation and social value:

    suggests early involvement of public stakeholders in shaping design principles, and provides guidance on urban environmental benefits
    London Plan Guidance Small Sites Design Codes cover

  • Methodology for Building Belonging in developments creating strong communities

    Author(s)

    Community Led Homes, CDS Co-operatives

    Theme:

    Optimising delivery

    Organisation:

    Public Landowner
    Small Builder

    Development stage:

    market engagement

    Delivery route:

    Public Sector land - Developer led delivery
    Public Sector land - Public Sector led delivery
    Private Sector land - Developer led delivery

    Added value in unlocking challenging sites

    secures reservations and sales prior to construction, smooths the planning process, and resolves long term liabilities. Provides a process for developer-enabled community-led housing

    Replicability

    can be applied to any mix of tenures and unit sizes, and can be used by both public and private developers

    Innovation and social value:

    creates social value long into the future, by forming mutually supportive communities around a scheme through custom built cohousing

    Download resource

    Building Belonging
    Building Belonging report cover image showing new developments in green environment

  • Online toolkit RenKap offers efficient procurement of site investigation surveys

    Author(s)

    RenKap

    Theme:

    Optimising delivery

    Organisation:

    Public Landowner
    Small Builder

    Development stage:

    due diligence and feasibility

    Delivery route:

    Public Sector land - Developer led delivery
    Public Sector land - Public Sector led delivery
    Private Sector land - Developer led delivery

    Added value in unlocking challenging sites

    designed to streamline the site investigation procurement and project management process securing resource savings when undertaking due diligence on small sites

    Replicability

    Cloud based service means that methodology is inherently repeatable. G Cloud marketplace provides a public sector compliant procurement route. Small builders are able to buy directly

    Innovation and social value:

    PropTech can be used to accelerate delivery of housing on small sites. The platform uses RICS best practice terms, provides two letters of reliance as standard and guides decisions as to what level of surveys is required
    https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-10/RenKap%20logo_2040x1500_Housing%20and%20Land_16Oct25.jpg

  • Partnership toolkit for boroughs and VCS to deliver small sites housing

    Author(s)

    Zig Zag Community, Homes in Mind, and Gollings Architects

    Theme:

    Housebuilder diversification

    Organisation:

    Public Landowner
    Small Builder

    Development stage:

    market engagement

    Delivery route:

    Public Sector land - Developer led delivery
    Public Sector land - Public Sector led delivery

    Added value in unlocking challenging sites

    provides alternative approach to deliver affordable housing, designed to meet identified needs for example mutually supportive accommodation for those with mental health needs

    Replicability

    designed as a practical guide and checklist, assisting stakeholders looking to replicate the model drawing on case study of specialist housing by VCS organisation Mind in Harrow

    Innovation and social value:

    partnering with VCS to deliver specialist housing is part of building resilient communities. It also proposes a unique housing typology and mix suitable for meeting those with low mental health needs
    CGI of Harrow infill by Gollings architects

  • Pattern book for Design for Mass Assembly in small sites housing in Barking and Dagenham

    Author(s)

    Be First

    Theme:

    Optimising delivery

    Organisation:

    Public Landowner

    Development stage:

    design and planning
    manufacturing and construction

    Delivery route:

    Public Sector Land Public Sector led delivery

    Added value in unlocking challenging sites

    this pattern book encourages the use of Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) principles to be considered early in the process to improve efficiencies on small sites

    Replicability

    DfMA enables standardisation through a kit-of-parts approach for prefabricated components that can be manufactured close to site clusters

    Innovation and social value:

    promotes a digital-fist approach using BIM to create affordable homes that promote health and wellbeing
    Illustration of a sustainable home in Be First Small Sites Patternbook

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