Why Small Sites Are Becoming More Important to Housing Delivery in Hemel Hempstead

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Small development sites are attracting more attention across the planning system. In places like Hemel Hempstead, where demand for homes remains strong and large sites can take years to deliver, smaller plots may have an increasingly important role to play.

What Do We Mean by Small Sites?

Small sites can include garden plots, side gardens, corner plots, infill sites, former garages, redundant buildings, and modest redevelopment opportunities.

They are not always obvious at first glance. In many cases, they sit within existing neighbourhoods and only become clear once access, planning precedent, and layout are properly assessed.

Why Small Sites Matter

Large housing schemes remain important, but they often involve long lead times, infrastructure planning, and complex delivery. Smaller sites can sometimes move more quickly because they are less dependent on major infrastructure or large scale phasing.

This does not mean they are simple. Planning, access, design, biodiversity, drainage, and neighbour impact still need careful consideration. But when a small site is well located and well designed, it can make a useful contribution to local housing supply.

A Changing Planning Direction

Recent national planning reform discussions have placed greater emphasis on housing delivery, efficient land use, and support for small and medium sized sites. The Government’s revised National Planning Policy Framework consultation has now closed, and final policy changes are still awaited.

That means landowners should be careful not to assume that every small plot will become easier to develop. However, the direction of travel is clear. Well located, deliverable sites are likely to remain an important part of the housing conversation.

Why This Matters in Hemel Hempstead

Hemel Hempstead has a mix of established residential areas, larger gardens, older housing stock, bungalows, garage blocks, and underused parcels of land. These are exactly the types of locations where small site opportunities can sometimes emerge.

The key is whether development would fit naturally with the surrounding area. Planning decisions still depend heavily on local context, including street character, access, parking, privacy, and design quality.

What Developers Are Looking For

Developers are not simply looking for land. They are looking for viable, deliverable opportunities.

Sites that tend to attract interest often have

• Clear or achievable access
• Strong planning precedent nearby
• A sensible relationship with neighbouring homes
• Realistic expectations around value
• Potential for one or more homes without overdeveloping the plot

In the current market, developers remain active, but they are also selective. Build costs, finance costs, planning risk, and end values all influence what they are prepared to pay.

Why Landowners Should Take Advice Early

One of the biggest mistakes landowners make is assuming a small site is either worthless or guaranteed to be valuable. The truth is usually somewhere in between.

A proper early assessment can help clarify whether a site has genuine potential, what the constraints may be, and whether it is worth exploring further before money is spent on drawings or formal applications.

The Bottom Line

Small sites are becoming more important because they can help deliver homes in established, well connected locations. For Hemel Hempstead landowners, this creates an opportunity to take a fresh look at gardens, side plots, bungalows, and underused land.

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Not every site will work, and planning is still a careful process. But where a plot is well located, sensibly designed, and commercially realistic, it may be more relevant to local housing delivery than many owners realise.

At David Doyle, our Land and New Homes team helps landowners and developers understand what is realistic, what is worth exploring, and what the local market is actively looking for.