We pride ourselves on being specialists in assessing the financial viability of projects which require an affordable housing obligation. We use planning practice guidance, council policies, planning appeals and industry standard good practice to provide evidence-based financial viability assessments either to support an applicant’s planning applications or to support a council in ensuring their affordable housing planning obligations are achievable and viable.

Unlike many viability consultants who submit a technical financial viability assessment, KCL works with our clients to understand why the scheme does not work and provides justification to the local planning authority outlining the issues as to why the scheme cannot support a policy compliant scheme. KCL offers a two-stage process for our private clients; stage 1 to prepare a basic review to ensure there is a case and stage 2 a detailed evidenced based viability submission.

When validating a financial viability assessment for a local authority our professional team analyses every aspect of the submission and prepares an evidenced backed report outlining what can be validated (‘common ground’), what should be challenged and the level of planning obligations including the level of affordable housing that can be supported. KCL will often support the local authority in negotiating the level of affordable housing and attend planning committees to support officers.

KCL also works with a number of public sector authorities who need help in looking at the financial viability of their own sites prior to seeking joint venture partners or to dispose of their sites.

We use a number of RICS valuers and cost consultants where appropriate and fall back on the extensive experience and specialist knowelged of our two directors who have been delivering mixed tenure development sites with and without affordable housing for many decades.