East & West Midlands — Development Management Development Management in the Midlands
Independent development management for landowners, investors, developers and public bodies across the Midlands. We take your scheme from opportunity to completed asset, protecting value at every stage.
Overview
Your development, in senior hands
Development in the Midlands rewards good local judgement. Land values, planning appetite, infrastructure capacity and end-user demand vary a great deal between central Birmingham, the Black Country, the M42 corridor and the wider East and West Midlands.
We act as your development manager, bringing the professional team together, managing risk and making sure every decision supports the commercial case. You stay in control of the big calls; we handle the detail and the delivery.
Our experience covers residential, build-to-rent, later living, logistics, commercial and mixed-use schemes, alongside education and public sector projects.
Scope of Services
What we do
Development management from first appraisal to completed asset, or senior support at the stage you need it.
Site Appraisal
Testing sites for constraints, capacity and viability before you buy or commit.
Development Strategy
Shaping the brief, phasing and procurement strategy around your commercial objectives.
Planning Management
Leading the planning consultant and design team through pre-application, submission and conditions.
Viability & Funding
Development appraisals, cost plans and funder reporting to support investment decisions.
Professional Team
Appointing and managing the right consultants, with clear scopes and fees.
Delivery & Exit
Overseeing construction, sales and letting interfaces, and handover to the end user or investor.
Our Approach
From opportunity to completed asset
Opportunity
Site appraisal, constraints review and an initial view of capacity, cost and value.
Strategy
We set the brief, programme, budget and procurement strategy, and build the professional team.
Planning
We lead the scheme through planning, managing consultants, consultees and planning obligations.
Funding & Procurement
We support funding discussions and appoint the contractor on terms that protect your position.
Delivery
We oversee construction on your behalf, keeping cost, programme and quality aligned with the appraisal.
Handover & Exit
We manage completion, handover and the interface with purchasers, tenants or investors.
Why October Projects
Why work with October Projects
Commercially minded
We look at every decision through the lens of your appraisal, not just the design or the programme.
Senior and independent
Senior advice throughout, with no ties to contractors or agents, so our advice is only ever in your interest.
Rooted in the Midlands
We know the region’s markets, local authorities and supply chain, and use that knowledge to reduce your risk.
See our main Development Management service, the sectors we work in and our team’s project experience.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is a development manager?
A development manager acts for the landowner, investor or developer to take a scheme from opportunity to completion, coordinating planning, design, funding, procurement and delivery.
How is development management different from project management?
Project management focuses on delivering a defined project. Development management starts earlier and is broader, covering site appraisal, viability, planning strategy and funding as well as delivery.
Do you work across the whole Midlands?
Yes. We work across the West and East Midlands, and on projects nationally.
Can you work alongside our in-house team?
Yes. We can lead the whole process or add senior capacity to your existing team for a particular scheme or stage.
What types of development do you manage?
Residential, build-to-rent, later living, logistics, commercial and mixed-use schemes, as well as education and public sector projects.
Further reading: What does an Employer’s Agent do? · JCT or NEC: which contract is right for your project?
Start a Project
Tell us
about your scheme.
We’ll bring the programme, the governance and the certainty. Get in touch to discuss your project.