Planning bridge

Bridging against planning gain: funding through to consent

Planning bridging funds a site through the planning process — sized against current value with an eye on post-consent uplift. Redeemed on grant either by refinance, sale, or moving into development finance.

Audience: Small developers and land traders

Situation: You're holding a site through planning — funding costs eat into the eventual uplift and the current lender won't fund pre-consent value.

Primary: Bridging Finance

The situation

Sites in planning are hard to fund conventionally — value is contingent on an outcome that hasn't happened. Specialist bridging lenders will lend against current value with sensible LTVs, buying you time to secure consent.

How we approach it

We route these to lenders comfortable with planning risk — typically 50-60% of current value, sometimes higher where hope value is clearly evidenced. Exit onto development finance or sale post-consent.

What that looks like in practice

Typically 50-60% of current (pre-consent) value
Hope-value component considered where evidenced
Term matched to expected planning timeline (usually 12-18 months)
Exit onto development finance on grant of consent, or sale
Interest usually rolled — no monthly cash pressure

Typical timeline

Week 1-2
Site, planning position and hope value assessed.
Week 3-6
Valuation, legals, drawdown.
Post-consent
Refinance onto development finance or sale to housebuilder.

Common questions

What if consent is refused?

The lender wants a credible fallback — either the current value supports the loan, or a resubmission plan is in view. Realistic planning risk assessed upfront.

Can I include agent and planning consultant fees?

Sometimes, if the loan sizing supports it — often better to fund these separately.

How is hope value evidenced?

Consultant appraisal, comparable sites with consent, evidence of pre-application engagement. Not just optimism.