Land Acquisition and Policy Compliance Costs

Where viability is accepted as marginal, it is often a matter of balance and judgement between the level of developer's return and policy compliance. An important principle in the consideration of viability is that land should be acquired at a price that takes into account all known costs, including the costs of complying with all planning policy requirements. Known site requirements and development constraints will include costs for site preparation, any demolition required, decontamination, flood mitigation measures, infrastructure provision, etc. All planning policy obligations, including the provision of affordable housing, should be factored in when considering how much a developer is able to pay for land.