Use Case: Site Feasibility Studies
Run a Desktop Feasibility Study in Minutes
Screen constraints, infrastructure and comparable values for a site before committing budget to a full technical feasibility study.
What This Workflow Covers
A desktop feasibility study is the first checkpoint before committing real budget to a site — assessing whether it's worth progressing to ground investigations, detailed viability appraisals and a formal planning strategy. Maplify structures this first pass: check planning constraints and local plan context, review infrastructure proximity, confirm Land Registry ownership, and pull comparable sold prices for the area, all from one map.
This workflow gives land teams, architects and investors a consistent, repeatable way to compare multiple sites on the same basis before deciding where to invest further time and money.
Traditional Method vs Maplify
| Task | Traditional Method | With Maplify |
|---|---|---|
| Assess planning constraints | Check Green Belt, flood risk and heritage designations across separate government portals | All constraints layered on one map in minutes |
| Check local plan policy context | Search a lengthy local plan PDF document | Site allocations shown directly on the map |
| Review infrastructure proximity | Cross-reference transport and utility maps separately | Infrastructure layers available alongside constraint data |
| Confirm ownership | Order individual Land Registry title documents | Ownership records overlaid on the map |
| Check comparable values | Search Land Registry sold price data manually by postcode | Average sold prices shown for the search area automatically |
| Full desktop feasibility pass | A day or more of manual research | 20-30 minutes on one platform |
Why It Matters
Committing budget to ground investigations, architects and viability consultants before establishing basic feasibility is one of the most common ways development projects waste money on sites that were never going to work. A consistent desktop feasibility pass filters these out early, so professional fees are only spent on sites that clear the first hurdle.
For teams evaluating multiple sites in parallel, having this data gathered the same way for every site also makes comparing opportunities far more reliable than relying on inconsistent notes from different team members.
Worked Example
A small developer is comparing three potential sites for a residential scheme and needs to prioritise which to progress first.
- Site A sits partly within a flood zone — deprioritised without further spend.
- Site B has no major constraints and sits within a housing allocation — strong candidate.
- Site C is unconstrained but comparable sold prices in the area are notably lower, affecting the likely scheme viability.
- The developer proceeds with a full feasibility study on Site B, saving consultant fees on the other two.
How to Get Started
- 1Search or draw a boundary around the candidate site.
- 2Check planning constraints and local plan policy context.
- 3Review infrastructure proximity and Land Registry ownership.
- 4Check comparable sold prices for the surrounding area.
- 5Export a feasibility report to compare against other candidate sites.
This is general guidance, not professional or legal advice — confirm specifics with the relevant authority or a qualified professional.
What's Included
Important Limitations
- Maplify supports the desktop, evidence-gathering stage of feasibility — it does not replace ground investigations or a full viability appraisal.
- Comparable sold price data reflects historic transactions and is not a valuation.
- Constraint and infrastructure data should be verified against the relevant authority before finalising a feasibility decision.
Who Uses This Workflow
Small Developers
Compare multiple candidate sites consistently before committing budget.
Land Acquisition Teams
Build the first-pass evidence base for an investment committee paper.
Architects
Understand site constraints before concept design and cost planning.
Investors
Screen opportunities before commissioning a full feasibility study.
Related Use Cases
Explore other ways professionals use Maplify to assess land.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a desktop site feasibility study?
A desktop feasibility study is an early-stage assessment of a site's development potential using existing data sources, without a physical site visit or paid consultant reports. It typically covers planning constraints, environmental risk, infrastructure and comparable values.
How does Maplify support a feasibility study?
Maplify brings planning constraints, environmental risk, infrastructure proximity, Land Registry data and comparable sold prices together on one map, letting you build a first-pass feasibility picture in one sitting.
Can I generate a feasibility report to share with stakeholders?
Yes. Maplify lets you export a site feasibility report and A3 block plan directly from your search, ready to share with investors, colleagues or a design team.
Does a Maplify feasibility study replace a full technical feasibility study?
No. Maplify supports the desktop, evidence-gathering stage of feasibility. Full technical feasibility — including ground investigations, utilities capacity checks and detailed viability appraisals — still requires specialist consultants.
How much time does a desktop feasibility study take on Maplify?
A first-pass feasibility screen covering constraints, infrastructure and comparables typically takes 20-30 minutes on Maplify, compared to a day or more researching the same information manually.
What data should a feasibility study include?
Planning designations (Green Belt, conservation, flood risk), local plan policy context, infrastructure proximity (transport, utilities), Land Registry ownership and comparable sold prices are the core inputs to a desktop feasibility study.