The Development Process

From Rezoning to Sub-Division

The zoning of a piece of land is the foundation upon which any planned development will gain planning permission approval.

What is land rezoning?

The zoning of land stipulates what can and cannot be built on a given piece of land, as set by the local planning authorities. There are different types of zoning such as commercial, residential development, resort development and many more. Some land is protected and will never be rezoned for development. Rezoning involves the local authorities changing the permitted use of the land.

The following step-by-step guide explains the Development process. This guide is approximate and may vary from country to country.

Step 1: Research the right piece of land with development potential
To determine the development potential of any given piece of land, it must be checked to see if its zoning allows for development. Protected land will never be allowed to be built on. Land zoned for commercial use cannot be used for residential developments, and vice versa.

Due diligence and other detailed studies should be carried out about the local economy, population growth, migration, employment levels and property market to ascertain if there is demand for the particular planned development in question.

Other important searches would include if there is any debt or claims to the land and if there is direct access.

Step 2: Present the Conceptual Master Plan
The Conceptual Master Plan is a detailed proposal of the buildings, amenities and overall purpose for the proposed development. Expert professionals will be engaged to prepare the plan including Master Planners, Engineers, Project Managers, Architects, Legal Experts and Designers.
Step 3: Submit an Infrastructure Plan to the local authority for approval
The Infrastructure Plan details the roads, water, electricity, sewage and location of building plots. This will be submitted for approval once the Conceptual Master Plan has been approved.
Step 4: Submit Architectural Plans to local authority for approval
Once the Infrastructure Plans have been approved, the Architectural Plans detailing the types of buildings – both residential and commercial – proposed for the development are submitted for approval.
Step 5: Submit Technical Drawings to local authority for approval
Following architectural approval, technical drawings of the buildings and the locations of the individual building plots will be submitted for approval.
Step 6: Development agreement is approved by the local authority
Once the Development Agreement has been approved by the local authority, this means the land now has planning permission.
Step 7: Sub-division into building plots
The land is sub-divided into individual building plots to be sold to the retail market.

Important Note: From step 2 onwards, a positive response from the local authority is required to advance the project. If at Step 2 approval is not granted, the development company will modify the plans and represent them again, until approval has been secured.

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