TerraQuest

English Cities Fund - Salford City Council

The English Cities Fund (ECF), in collaboration with Salford City Council and the University of Salford, embarked on an extensive revitalisation project for Salford Crescent.
Client
Salford City Council
Date
January 11, 2022
Role
Land referencing
TerraQuest

Project brief

The brief:

This scheme aims to transform the area by creating new residential and commercial spaces plus the redevelopment of the university campus.

Terraquest’s land referencing services helped with the early planning stages of the project, allowing for quick, data-led decisions.  

Our solution:

TerraQuest‘s land referencing team successfully delivered an extensive desktop land referencing service with market-leading software to both the council and the developer partner, ECF. This exercise confirmed ownership, land boundaries, and occupational interests to inform a draft Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) plan and schedule.

This service encompassed the following key components:

• Land registry enquiries: We initiated a search of an Index Map (SIM) to identify all titles, thoroughly examining these titles to pinpoint interests related to the masterplan and other parties with equitable interests, easements, rights, and restrictions.

• Source data comparison: We meticulously reviewed and compared data previously compiled for the project by the Council and other collaborators with the data collected by TerraQuest. The aim was to ensure that all land related information was consolidated into a single, comprehensive document.

• Non-Contact site survey: A site visit was conducted to validate and confirm the boundaries and descriptions of land parcels. This visit also aimed to identify any unregistered interests that might not be included in the Land Registry titles.

• Draft land referencing schedule and plan: As a result of these efforts, we produced a detailed schedule and plan that presented all the information gathered up to that point.  

This document served as a valuable reference for the project.

The outcome:

The comprehensive Land Referencing exercise, covering the entire masterplan area, proved invaluable in helping the council and its partners gain a deep understanding of the various party interests involved. This understanding served as a critical foundation for reviewing and determining the project’s phases, shaping the planning application, and guiding negotiations with stakeholders the data derived from the mapping results.

Our solution

To ensure we identified land that was appropriate for development, the brief was centred around rail corridors on the eastern side of the borough, our search criteria therefore focussed on areas with easy access to key transport routes including bus, underground and train.  

We leveraged our sophisticated computer modelling to swiftly identify areas with development potential, streamlining the process. Moreover, we employed proprietary scoring and development appraisal processes, enabling accurate and rapid identification of individual sites.

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The outcome

Within a week, TerraQuest applied our Site ID Land Finding Service and in summary delivered the following, each of the candidate sites included a full site report and map:

• Candidate sites revealed: 7

• Total Area of Candidate Sites: 3.9 ha

• Discarded candidate sites: 42

• Area Searched: 40 km2

• Area of Focussed Search: 6 km2

TerraQuest's services for Barnet Homes go beyond mere identification, delivering tangible results that cater directly to client needs. By facilitating proactive research within customer-specific geographic areas, TerraQuest ensures the pinpointing of land that precisely matches client requirements. Our comprehensive approach not only accelerates the identification process but also ensures that the identified sites align closely with Barnet Homes' objectives, providing invaluable support in their endeavours.

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Our bespoke approach

Our consultants conduct comprehensive diagnostic analysis, assess your business processes, evaluate all available solutions and provide strategic recommendations to meet both present and future requirements. We are dedicated to delivering tangible results quickly, whilst implementing solutions to ensure long-term, lasting value and change.

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