Fact Sheet: Site Sourcing Tool Filters Explained

A complete reference for every filter available in the Site Sourcing Tool, organised by filter category.

How filters work

Filters let you narrow your Site Sourcing search to only return parcels that match your criteria. You can apply as many filters as you like in a single search. Use them to include the characteristics you want and exclude the constraints you do not.

Each filter corresponds to a dataset that also exists as a layer in the Explorer. The definitions below explain what each filter covers and what the available options mean.

Parcel size

Filter by the physical size of the land parcel. Set a minimum and maximum size in acres or square feet.

Owner name

Search for sites owned by a specific individual or organisation by entering their name as a text search. Useful when you know a particular landowner and want to find all parcels registered to them.

Ownership type

Filter by the type of entity that owns the site.

Filter option	What it means
Privately owned	Land held by an individual or private company
Local authority	Land owned by a council or local government body
Housing association	Land owned by a registered social landlord
Corporate body	Land held by a corporate entity not captured by the other categories
Company	Land registered to a UK company

Tenure

Filter by the legal basis on which the land is held.

Filter option	What it means
Freehold	Full ownership of the land and any buildings, with no time limit
Leasehold	The right to occupy or use the land for a set period, while the freehold remains with another owner

Additional Opportunities

Filter for sites with specific opportunity flags applied by LandInsight.

Filter option	What it means
Declassified Green Belt	Land removed from Green Belt designation because it does not significantly contribute to the core purposes of Green Belt policy. These sites may be more suitable for development than typical Green Belt land

Adopted roads

Filter by the proximity and maintenance status of the nearest road.

Filter option	What it means
Distance to within X ft	Returns parcels within a specified distance of an adopted road
Maintainable at public expense	The road is maintained by the highway authority
Provisionally maintainable at public expense	The road is expected to be adopted by the highway authority in the future

Agricultural Land Classification

Filter by the agricultural quality grade of the land. Grades 1, 2, and 3a are classified as Best and Most Versatile (BMV) agricultural land, which carries additional weight in planning decisions.

Filter option	What it means
Grade 1	Excellent quality. Very few limitations on agricultural use
Grade 2	Very good quality. Minor limitations on crop yield or farming operations
Grade 3a	Good quality. Moderate limitations, but capable of producing a wide range of crops
Grade 3b	Moderate quality. Limitations that reduce the choice of crops or farming methods
Grade 4	Poor quality. Significant limitations, typically only suitable for grassland or rough grazing
Grade 5	Very poor quality. Severe limitations including very steep terrain or extremely poor drainage
Non-agricultural	Land not classified for agricultural use

Amenities

Filter by proximity to local amenities. Set a maximum distance in miles and select the types of amenity you want nearby.

Filter option	What it means
Transport: Bus stop	A publicly accessible bus stop
Transport: Train station	A mainline or commuter rail station
Transport: Metro station	An underground or light rail station
Educational Institutions: Primary (state)	State-funded primary school
Educational Institutions: Primary (independent)	Fee-paying primary school
Educational Institutions: Secondary (state)	State-funded secondary school
Educational Institutions: Secondary (independent)	Fee-paying secondary school
Educational Institutions: Further education (state)	State-funded college or sixth form
Educational Institutions: Further education (independent)	Fee-paying college or sixth form
Retail: Supermarkets and convenience stores	Large supermarkets and local convenience stores
Healthcare: GP	General practitioner surgery
Healthcare: Pharmacies	Community pharmacies
Healthcare: Clinics	Medical clinics
Healthcare: Dentists	Dental practices
Healthcare: Hospitals	NHS and private hospitals

Company status

Filter by the legal trading status of the company that owns the site. This is particularly useful for identifying financially distressed owners who may be more motivated to sell.

Filter option	What it means
Active	The company is trading normally
Active (Proposal to Strike Off)	Active but proposed for removal from the Companies House register
Administration Order	A court order placing the company under formal administration
Administrative Receiver	A receiver appointed by a secured creditor to manage company assets
In Administration	The company is under the control of an insolvency practitioner
In Administration / Administrative Receiver	Under both formal administration and an administrative receiver
In Administration / Receiver Manager	In administration with a receiver manager also appointed
Liquidation	The company is being wound up
Live But Receiver Manager On At Least One Charge	Still trading, but a receiver manager is in place on one or more charges
Receiver Manager / Administrative Receiver	Both a receiver manager and an administrative receiver have been appointed
Receivership	A receiver has been appointed to manage company assets
Voluntary Arrangement	A formal agreement with creditors to repay debts over time
Voluntary Arrangement / Administrative Receiver	A voluntary arrangement alongside an administrative receiver
Voluntary Arrangement / Receiver Manager	A voluntary arrangement alongside a receiver manager

Planning applications

Filter to include or exclude sites based on their planning application history.

Filter option	What it means
Include sites with planning applications	Returns only parcels that have at least one planning application on record
Exclude sites with planning applications	Returns only parcels with no planning applications on record
Contains keyword	Free text search to filter by keyword within planning application descriptions
Submission date	Filter by when the planning application was submitted
Number of dwellings (min/max)	Filter by the number of dwellings referenced in the planning application

Power

Filter by proximity to power infrastructure. Set a distance in miles and select the types of infrastructure you want nearby.

Filter option	What it means
Grid power substations (400/132kV)	High-voltage substations connecting the national transmission network to regional distribution
Bulk power substations (132/33kV)	Substations stepping down from high voltage to primary distribution voltage
Primary power substations (33/11kV)	Substations distributing power at primary voltage across local areas
Secondary substations (<11kV)	Local substations supplying power directly to homes and businesses
Power cables	Underground electricity cables
Power overhead lines	Overhead electricity transmission and distribution lines
Power towers	Pylons and towers carrying overhead electricity lines
Within X miles	Set the maximum distance from the site to the selected power infrastructure

Property state

Filter by the current physical or development state of the site.

Filter option	What it means
Demolished	The structure on the site has been demolished
In use	The site is currently occupied and in active use
Planning permission granted	The site has an active or recent planning permission
Unclassified	The state of the site has not been categorised
Under construction	Development is currently underway on the site
Unoccupied / Vacant / Derelict	The site is empty, vacant, or in a state of disrepair

Regeneration zones - adopted

Filter to include or exclude sites that fall within formally adopted regeneration zones, including Area Action Plans and named regeneration areas designated by local authorities. These designations are already in force.

Regeneration zones - emerging

Filter to include or exclude sites that fall within emerging regeneration zones, including Area Action Plans and named regeneration areas that are in development but not yet formally adopted.

Site allocations - adopted

Filter by land formally designated for a specific use in an adopted local plan.

Filter option	What it means
Commercial allocation	Land designated for commercial use in an adopted local plan
Community allocation	Land designated for community uses such as schools, health facilities, or open space
Employment allocation	Land designated for employment-generating uses such as offices or industrial
Mixed use allocation	Land designated for a combination of uses
Residential allocation	Land designated for housing development
Uncategorised	Land allocated in a local plan but not assigned to a named category

Site allocations - emerging

Filter by land designated for a specific use in an emerging local plan that has not yet been formally adopted. Options are the same as for adopted site allocations above.

Constraints - Adopted

Filter to include or exclude sites that fall within adopted (legally confirmed) planning policy constraint areas. These designations are already in force.

Filter option	What it means
Heritage Land / Listed Buildings	Land containing listed buildings or other designated heritage assets, protected under planning law
Conservation Areas	Legally defined areas of special architectural or historic interest, designated by local authorities to preserve their character
Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)	Land designated for its biological or geological importance, protected under law
Special Protection Area	Internationally designated areas protecting rare or vulnerable bird species
Special Area of Conservation	Internationally designated areas protecting habitats and species
Ramsar Site	Internationally important wetlands protected under the Ramsar Convention
National Nature Reserve	Areas of national importance managed for nature conservation
Local Nature Reserve	Areas of local wildlife or geological importance, designated by local authorities
Common Land	Land over which the public has certain rights, including grazing and recreation
Ancient Woodland	Woodland that has existed continuously since 1600, with the highest level of ecological protection
Environmental Constraint	A locally designated site of nature conservation importance (e.g. SINC, LINC, BINC)
General Constraint	A locally designated constraint that does not fall into a named category
Biosphere Reserve	UNESCO-designated areas balancing conservation with sustainable development
Heritage Coasts	Undeveloped stretches of coastline managed to conserve their natural and scenic qualities
Flood Zone 2	Medium probability of river or tidal flooding
Flood Zone 3	High probability of river or tidal flooding
Very Low Flood Risk	Very low general likelihood of flooding
Low Flood Risk	Low general likelihood of flooding
Medium Flood Risk	Medium general likelihood of flooding
High Flood Risk	High general likelihood of flooding
Low Surface Water Flooding (Current)	Low current risk of flooding from rainfall runoff
Medium Surface Water Flooding (Current)	Medium current risk of flooding from rainfall runoff
High Surface Water Flooding (Current)	High current risk of flooding from rainfall runoff
Low Surface Water Flooding (Climate Change)	Low projected future flood risk from rainfall under climate change scenarios
Medium Surface Water Flooding (Climate Change)	Medium projected future flood risk under climate change scenarios
High Surface Water Flooding (Climate Change)	High projected future flood risk under climate change scenarios
Green Belt	Protected open land around towns and cities, designated to prevent urban sprawl
Settlement Boundaries	Defined edges of towns or villages that guide development and prevent sprawl into countryside
Employment Area	Land allocated for business, industrial, or commercial use
Nutrient Neutrality	Areas where development must demonstrate a neutral or positive impact on nutrient levels in sensitive water bodies
Protected Views	Designated sightlines or viewsheds where development that harms visual quality is restricted
Safeguarded Sites	Land reserved for future infrastructure or strategic use, protected from incompatible development
Metropolitan Open Land	Open land within Greater London, protected to the same standard as Green Belt
Open Space	Areas of undeveloped land, parks, or recreational space
National Landscape (AONB)	Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, designated to conserve and enhance their landscape
Class MA (Article 4)	A direction removing permitted development rights for the conversion of commercial buildings to residential use
Conversion of Single Dwellings to HMO (Article 4)	A direction requiring planning permission to convert a single dwelling into a house in multiple occupation
Other (Article 4)	Other directions removing specific permitted development rights
Unknown (Article 4)	An Article 4 direction where the specific class restriction has not been categorised
Rights of Way	Legally protected public paths across land, including footpaths, bridleways, and byways
Tree Preservation Orders	Legal protections restricting the felling or significant alteration of specific trees or woodlands

Constraints - Emerging

Filter to include or exclude sites that fall within emerging (not yet adopted) planning constraint areas. These designations are in development but not yet legally confirmed.

Filter option	What it means
Conservation Areas	Conservation area designations being consulted on but not yet formally adopted
Employment Area	Employment area allocations in emerging local plans
Metropolitan Open Land	Open land designations being progressed in emerging London Plan documents
Open Space	Open space designations in emerging plans
Protected Areas	Nature conservation designations not yet formally adopted
Protected Views	Viewshed protections in emerging policy
Safeguarded Sites	Strategic land reservations in emerging plans
Settlement Boundaries	Settlement boundary definitions being progressed in emerging local plans

Developed area

Filter by the percentage of the site that has already been developed. Set a minimum and maximum percentage range. Useful for targeting brownfield land or partially developed sites.

Grey Belt Favourability

Filter by LandTech's proprietary Grey Belt Favourability rating. Grey Belt refers to previously developed or low-impact land within the Green Belt where development may be more acceptable under emerging planning policy.

Filter option	What it means
More Favourable	Sites assessed as having stronger characteristics for Grey Belt development, based on factors including prior land use, connectivity, local housing affordability, and amenities
Average Favourability	Sites with a moderate Grey Belt profile
Less Favourable	Sites with weaker characteristics for Grey Belt development

Land Availability Assessment

Filter by the outcome of a local authority's formal assessment of whether a site is suitable and available for development.

Filter option	What it means
Positive	The site has been assessed as suitable and available for development
Neutral	Suitability or availability has not been confirmed either way
Negative	The site has been assessed as unsuitable or unavailable for development

Lease end

Filter by the end date of a leasehold interest on the site. Returns sites where a lease is due to expire within a specified date range. Useful for identifying sites where a leasehold may be terminating and the landowner could be open to a conversation.

Lease start date

Filter by the start date of a leasehold interest on the site. Returns sites where a lease began within a specified date range.

Traffic count

Filter by average daily traffic count within 1km of the site. Set a minimum vehicle count and select the vehicle type you want to measure.

Filter option	What it means
All motor vehicles	Total count of all motorised vehicles passing the count point
Cars and taxis	Count of private cars and licensed taxis only
Cars, taxis, and LGVs	Count of cars, taxis, and light goods vehicles combined
LGVs	Light goods vehicles only
Buses, coaches, and HGVs	Count of buses, coaches, and heavy goods vehicles combined
HGVs	Heavy goods vehicles only
Greater than or equal to X vehicles	Set the minimum daily vehicle count threshold for results to be returned

Use class

Filter by the planning use class of the site. Use classes define the permitted use of a building or land under the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order.

Filter option	What it means
B2 - General industrial	Sites used for general industrial processes
B8 - Storage or distribution	Sites used for storage, warehousing, or distribution
C1 - Hotels	Hotels, boarding houses, and similar establishments
C2 - Residential institutions	Residential care homes, hospitals, nursing homes, boarding schools
C2A - Secure residential institution	Prisons, young offender institutions, and secure hospitals
C3 - Dwelling houses	Houses and flats used as private homes
C4 - Houses in multiple occupation	Small shared houses occupied by between 3 and 6 unrelated individuals
E - Commercial, Business and Service	Shops, offices, restaurants, gyms, and other commercial uses
F.1 - Learning and non-residential institutions	Schools, libraries, museums, and places of worship
F.2 - Local community uses	Small local shops, community halls, and outdoor recreation
Sui Generis	Uses that do not fall within any defined use class, such as petrol stations, nightclubs, or theatres