Nottingham and Sevenoaks speed up identifying and assessing sites

Nottingham and Sevenoaks speed up identifying and assessing sites
Nottingham City Council and Sevenoaks District Council used digital mapping and assessment tools to support site identification for local plan work.
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Nottingham City Council and Sevenoaks District Council tested a digital approach to identifying and assessing potential development sites to support their local plan work.
- Outcome: Nottingham sifted over 7,000 sites to 384 for further assessment. In Sevenoaks, the pilot highlighted data and process limitations that will inform future site identification work.
- Technology used: LANDCLAN to identify and assess sites, Esri ArcGIS Urban to design sites in 3D and generate sustainability metrics, Cyclomedia StreetSmart to view street-level 3D data, and Bluesky 3D models to support site evaluation.
This was a PropTech Innovation Fund round 4 pilot (2024) and describes what was tested at the time.
The planning challenge
Both councils needed to improve how they identified and assessed potential development sites as part of plan-making. In particular, they wanted to:
- identify sites efficiently across large and complex areas
- manage and sift a very high number of potential sites
- understand development potential in areas with significant policy constraints
- reduce reliance on manual, time-intensive site assessment methods
- bring together multiple datasets to support more informed decision making
The councils faced different but equally challenging contexts. Nottingham needed to manage a very large number of small potential sites across a tightly bounded urban area. Sevenoaks operates within a highly constrained environment, with around 93% of the district in the green belt and 60% designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty.
In both cases, traditional approaches made it difficult to take a consistent, evidence-based view of which sites warranted further assessment.
What they did
The councils tested a combination of digital geospatial tools to support site identification and early assessment.
In this context, 2D data refers to map-based information such as site boundaries, planning constraints and policy designations. 3D data includes street-level and aerial imagery that helps officers understand the physical form and surroundings of a site.
Identifying sites using structured 2D data
Nottingham used LANDCLAN to sift a large number of land parcels and identify sites for further consideration. This focused on identifying suitable, deliverable sites for new housing development, particularly on council-owned land.
The council used the tool to:
- apply policy constraints and other 2D GIS (geographic information system) datasets
- filter out sites that could not support development in principle
- reduce an initial dataset of over 7,000 sites to a shortlist of 384 sites
Sevenoaks tested LANDCLAN to explore site identification using available council data. During the pilot, the scope changed from identifying grey belt sites to identifying brownfield land.
This work helped both councils understand how structured 2D data can support early site identification, and support automated sifting of potential sites to a manageable and prioritised number, before individual officer assessment.
Using 3D data to understand site context
The pilot also tested how 3D geospatial data could support earlier understanding of site context and constraints.
Cyclomedia StreetSmart provided street-level imagery, allowing officers to:
- view sites remotely
- understand access, frontage and surrounding uses
- reduce the need for some early site visits
Beyond plan-making, street-level imagery was used by officers across planning, urban design, conservation, transport and housing teams to gather site information, measure features and understand constraints remotely. This supported more informed decision making across a range of council activities.
The council bought aerial 3D imagery for future analysis of sites and their surroundings, but delays to data capture meant they did not use it in this study.
Image description: Street-level image showing a potential development site and its surrounding residential context.
Exploring development potential
Nottingham and Sevenoaks also tested Esri ArcGIS Urban to explore development scenarios and capacity assessments on a small number of shortlisted sites.
Officers used the tool to:
- model different development scenarios
- test how changes to assumptions affected capacity and sustainability measures
- support discussion within planning teams about what development might be possible
Testing Esri ArcGIS Urban showed clear efficiency benefits for early site design and capacity work. The tool enabled officers to model and compare development scenarios more quickly and reduced reliance on external consultants for some capacity and massing studies. In Nottingham, Esri ArcGIS Urban has since moved into operational use to support ongoing planning and regeneration work.
Image description: Interface showing a 3D model of a development site with surrounding buildings, alongside a panel displaying land use types and total floor area for the scenario.
Officer review
Throughout the pilot, planning officers reviewed outputs and applied professional judgement to validate results. Officers used digital tools to support more informed and consistent decision making and reduce manual effort at early stages. The councils used the tools to support, rather than replace, existing plan-making processes.
Image description: Map showing a highlighted site boundary with surrounding streets and planning data layers.
Results and impact
At a glance:
- Nottingham sifted over 7,000 sites to 384 for further assessment
- 2D GIS data supported early filtering of sites against policy constraints
- street-level 3D imagery reduced reliance on some early site visits
Identifying and evaluating sites
Using structured 2D GIS data, Nottingham reduced an initial dataset of over 7,000 land parcels to 384 sites that met defined criteria for further consideration. Applying constraints early helped focus assessment on the most promising locations and supported the council’s housing delivery responsibilities.
In Sevenoaks, testing highlighted the challenges of site identification in a highly constrained area and the importance of complete and reliable spatial datasets. The pilot helped clarify what further data and process refinement they would need before wider application.
Supporting site evaluation using 3D data
Street-level imagery allowed officers to understand site context remotely, including access, surrounding uses and physical constraints. This supported earlier evaluation of sites and reduced the need for some initial site visits.
Although the councils did not have full access to Bluesky aerial data during the pilot, they identified clear future value in using 3D height and imagery data to support site evaluation at scale.
What they learned
The councils found that:
- combining 2D and 3D geospatial data provides a richer understanding of site context
- structured 2D data is essential for early site sifting, but its effectiveness depends on data quality
- 3D imagery can reduce reliance on early site visits, but does not remove the need for them in sites that may be taken forward
- digital tools support earlier, more informed evaluation and site capacity assessments but do not replace professional judgement
- data availability and timing significantly affect the benefits realised from digital tools
Testing the tools across two very different planning contexts helped both councils understand where digital geospatial tools add most value, and where data availability and policy context continue to shape what is achievable.
Future plans
Nottingham and Sevenoaks plan to build on the learning from the pilot as they continue work on their local plans, and other related activity.
Both councils intend to use digital tools to support further site assessment, including more detailed consideration of development capacity and constraints for shortlisted sites. They are also exploring how the tools tested during the pilot could be better integrated into existing plan-making processes and workflows.
Help us improve this case study by completing our short feedback form.
Useful resources
Explore tools and suppliers on the Digital Planning Directory.
Read guidance on site identification and assessment using digital tools.
Explore the Open Digital Planning community.
External links on this page are included to help users find relevant information. Their inclusion does not imply government endorsement of any organisation, product or service.