Brookbanks Latest News

Rising geopolitical tension does not affect development viability in isolation, but through increasing pressure on energy prices, supply chains and the cost of energy‑intensive materials. Where schemes are progressed on assumptions made under more stable conditions, these pressures can quickly challenge margins, appraisals and deliverability, particularly in a flat housing market. Our article looks at how developers can respond to build cost volatility in a more informed and proportionate way. Drawing on our specialists' experience, it explores how early coordination, design‑led value engineering and integrated decision‑making can help manage cost risk, protect scheme viability and avoid short‑term measures that compromise long‑term quality and value.

Welcome to our April 2026 newsletter. In this month's Brookbanks newsletter, learn more about how high-rise developments can be made more deliverable, with guidance on how you can reduce risk and protect viability. We're also looking back on our April webinar, where Annabel Le Lohe and Katherine Peers gave a rundown of Environmental Impact Assessments and how coordination can make a real impact on project delivery. Plus, there's a recap of this month's podcasts featuring two special guests. Paul Smith, Managing Director at The Strategic Land Group, and Tom Park, Associate Development Director at Caddick Developments. Also, find out which members of our team will be at UKREiiF as well as more about the CPD event we're co-hosting with the LPDF in May.

In this webinar we explore how Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) can be better coordinated to support clearer, more robust planning decisions. Annabel Le Lohé and Katherine Peers set out how EIAs are intended to function, before focusing on the practical considerations that influence how effective an assessment is in practice, from early briefing decisions through to long‑term delivery. The session was aimed at those working across planning, development and technical disciplines who are involved in preparing, coordinating or contributing to EIAs, particularly on large and complex schemes.

Explore how rising energy demand, grid capacity constraints and changing requirements are shaping industry and logistics developments, and what developers can do to manage energy risk and future‑proof schemes.

High‑rise developments rarely fail through lack of ambition, but through risks that are identified too late. When planning, infrastructure, fire strategy, servicing and buildability are treated as separate exercises, schemes often look strong in concept but weaken rapidly at delivery, leading to redesign, delays and value erosion. This article explores why early, joined‑up thinking is essential for tall buildings, and how front‑end due diligence and integrated strategy can reduce risk, protect viability and create schemes that are genuinely deliverable.

Ground conditions remain one of the biggest sources of cost, carbon and programme risk in infrastructure delivery, yet foundation strategy is still too often considered too late. When layouts and levels are fixed before the ground is understood, projects lose the chance to shape efficient, predictable outcomes. This article explores why early, ground‑led design matters and how treating foundation strategy as a front‑end decision can unlock clarity, reduce risk and improve overall project performance.

Explore how decades of UK housing policy, supply constraints, planning and affordability pressures created today’s housing crisis, and what lessons the past offers for future delivery.

Welcome to our March 2026 newsletter. In this issue, we’ll tell you more about how we help SMEs prioritise what matters, avoid the common financial traps, and get projects moving, backed by our experienced team who have real housebuilding experience. We’re looking back on our March webinar, where Jack Kenny and Paul Rushmer gave an overview of how to optimise mechanical and electrical designs specifically for high-risk buildings. Plus, we’ll highlight this month’s podcasts! The first explored where structural engineering and building services design overlap, and why good coordination is so important to project delivery. In episode two, Hannah Simpson, Fran Walker, and Isabelle Latuszka spoke about their early-career experiences and how diverse backgrounds add real value to projects. Below, you’ll also get to hear about some exciting awards news and an event we’re co-hosting with the LPDF in Manchester.

Explore how structural and building services design overlap across RIBA stages, why coordination matters, and how our integrated approach improves building engineering outcomes.

The UK’s housing delivery challenge is well-documented. Yet amid the national conversation about planning reform, infrastructure, and build-out rates, one group consistently punches above its weight: Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (SME) housebuilders. SMEs are a vital part of the solution, but they face very real and persistent development hurdles.

At Brookbanks, we know EV charging becomes far more manageable when it’s approached as part of a wider development picture rather than an isolated task. Rising regulatory demands, limited capacity, cost pressures and the realities of underground or enclosed parking all interact in ways that can affect programme, viability and long‑term performance. This article looks at the recurring challenges we see across residential, commercial and mixed‑use projects and the practical steps that help developments meet Part S requirements, manage grid limitations, integrate load‑balancing and smart‑charging systems, and plan for solar PV and battery storage. The aim is to provide clear, grounded insight that helps teams design EV strategies that genuinely stand up to modern development demands.

Welcome to our February 2026 newsletter. In this issue, we will be sharing what’s been happening over the past month, including our two new podcasts highlighting the common pitfalls around S278 and S38 highway approvals, and what the Planning & Infrastructure Bill means for developers in England and Wales, with special guest Mark Harris from HBF Wales. We’re also looking back on our latest article, which explored how unspent S106 and CIL funds create opportunities to review, challenge and optimise legacy obligations, and why combining planning expertise with commercial insight is key to unlocking value. Plus, we are rounding off by showcasing one of our team's achievements.