Property Development Pathways

Starting a property project can be a daunting task but the Property Development Pathways have been created to help support managing trustees by giving guidance and signposting for further information.  The aim is to improve communication and resources for managing trustees who are under-going a property project and also to help support the new Strategic Guidance notes for the Use of Property in Mission.  

Within the Property Development Pathways, there is a core path, which has a common set of steps to follow within every project.  This has guidance and considerations that are applicable to all property projects.  There are core aspects for each project that should be followed in order to achieve success in both for the mission and the development of the property.  There are decision gateways in Step 4 and Step 6 that will allow for time to reflect and confirm that the project remains viable.  The pathways are reflective of the need to consider a property project as a journey – sometimes there is good progress and sometimes the road is bumpy; sometimes a stop is needed along the way; sometimes the map needs to be reviewed; sometimes there is a deviation but the arrival at the destination will have been worth it.    

Click here to view a summary of the 8 core steps.    

In addition to the core pathway, there are supplementary pathways for:

• Conservation & Listed Buildings projects
• Net Zero Carbon projects
• Projects that involve a Partnership. 

Within each of these supplementary pathways, there are links that incorporate specific guidance and considerations for these types of projects.  You could imagine that the pathways like a cake where the core pathway is on the bottom and every project should follow those steps.  However, one could choose to have a different flavour of cake and include a partnership or environmental project.  In theory, there could be a Net Zero Carbon project on a listed building which could involve a partnership and thus, incorporate all 4 layers.  The information and guidance is there for managing trustees to use as dictated by the parameters of the project.

The pathways are designed to be worked through methodically and have been divided into bitesize steps.  Thus, it is recommended to begin with Step 1 of the core pathway followed by Step 1 of an supplementary pathway (if applicable).  The first 3 steps involve a large amount of background work, but allowing time for research, preparation and planning will help to ensure a project's success.  

Remember that, “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.”