Identify
Identifying Land
We research locations, ownership and planning context to identify land that may support future development, from individual parcels to larger holdings.
Planning-led land opportunities
Land.Opportunity.Realised.
Blackdown Property Group specialises in identifying strategic land with development potential, pursuing opportunities alongside landowners, property companies and development partners.
Identifying opportunityUnlocking potentialCreating value
About Blackdown
A considered approach to land.
Blackdown Property Group is an independent property business focused on land with development potential. We identify sites, assess the planning and commercial case, and pursue opportunities through the arrangement that best suits the land and its owner.
Who we work with
- Landowners
- From single dwellings and fields to farms, brownfield sites and larger holdings, every opportunity is considered on its merits.
- Property professionals
- Land agents, planning consultants and advisers acting for owners or bringing forward sites.
- Developers and investors
- Where an opportunity calls for development expertise or capital to take it forward.
Every site is read in its context: settlement, access, landscape and constraints.
What we do
Identifying and assessing land with potential.
We look for land where planning, a change of use or development may create value. Whether a site has that potential depends on its location, its characteristics and planning policy, and we will say plainly if it does not.
Assess
Assessing Potential
We assess each site's planning position, constraints and commercial viability, drawing on planning, legal and technical advice where it is needed.
Progress
Progressing Opportunities
Where there is a credible opportunity, we agree terms that suit the owner, which may be a purchase, a conditional sale or an option, and take the site forward with the right consultants, developers and funders.
Our approach
Straightforward from the outset.
You do not need any experience of property development to talk to us. Every site is different, but this is how we approach each opportunity.
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An initial conversation
A short call or exchange of emails to understand the land, your circumstances and what you would like to achieve. There is no cost and no obligation.
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Appraising the site
We look at the site in detail, using planning and land data alongside professional advice where it is needed.
Planning
Firstly, using specialist software, we will assess access, flood risk, ecology and heritage constraints, together with the planning history of the site. We will also investigate the Local Plan alongside local housing need.
Underwrite
Based on our planning due diligence, we will determine what could realistically be built and then conduct a financial appraisal to understand likely costs, as well as policy requirements such as affordable housing, CIL and S106.
This process will determine whether development on the site is feasible. If a site is not suitable, we will tell you.
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Site visit
We will walk the site with you, share our plan in greater depth and hear what you have to say about your land. Your knowledge will often reveal details no software can pick up.
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A clear proposal
Where there is an opportunity, we set out in plain English what may be achievable, what the financial upside may be, when you would receive it and what happens if planning is not secured.
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Agreeing terms
There are numerous ways to structure a deal and we will explain the range of options as well as the key differences and trade-offs. Our typical arrangement would be to agree an option agreement, which would allow us to purchase the site subject to planning. Your solicitor will review every detail and advise you before anything is signed.
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Planning and completion
We will fund the entire planning process, all of it. We take the site through planning with the appropriate consultants and development partners, keeping you informed throughout. You maintain legal ownership of your land throughout the process and can continue using it as normal. Planning often takes 12 to 24 months, but should we receive consent, we will either build out the project ourselves or bring in another developer, depending on what the site requires.
For landowners
Have you considered the potential of your land?
Owning property or land can present opportunities that are not always immediately apparent. Depending on its location and circumstances, land may have potential for development, although this will depend on a range of factors, including planning policy and site constraints.
We understand that exploring these possibilities may be unfamiliar territory. Our aim is to make the initial conversation straightforward, explain the potential options clearly and give landowners the information they need to decide whether they wish to explore matters further.
An initial conversation does not commit you to proceeding.
The founder
A personal approach to property.
Blackdown Property Group was founded by Alex Jackson, a Chartered Surveyor with a background in property investment, asset management and strategic land.
- Qualifications
- MRICS (Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors)
- Education
- MSc Real Estate, UBE
BA History, University of Bristol
Prior to establishing Blackdown, Alex worked at Knight Frank’s global headquarters in London. His work there spanned across residential research, fund valuations, energy and infrastructure, and asset management. After completing his APC, he qualified into the Industrial Capital Markets team, where he advised a range of investors, including institutions, private equity firms and REITs, as well as private investors, on acquisitions and disposals totalling £150m+.
Alex’s time at Knight Frank allowed him to understand how much value well-located, strategic land can hold, but also how often it goes unrecognised. He founded Blackdown to address this shortcoming, working with landowners to identify sites with development potential and realise their value, while helping to bring forward much-needed development.
The business takes its name from the farm in Northamptonshire where Alex grew up, and where he remains involved in the family’s agricultural business. Having seen developers approach his own family’s land, as well as working for major property investors, he understands both sides of the conversation. He knows that land often carries a history and significance to its owner that goes well beyond its financial value. That understanding of both perspectives allows him to work effectively with landowners, developers and professional advisers alike, and to manage the process to ensure everyone involved leaves satisfied.
Contact
Let's start a conversation.
If you own land that you believe may have development potential, or would simply like to understand the possibilities, we would be pleased to hear from you. We also welcome introductions from land agents, advisers, property companies and developers.
Telephone
+44 7800 744680
Send an enquiry