Beyond the bottom line: creating meaningful places

At Stories, we focus on development that puts people first. That is not just a slogan. It is a serious commitment that shapes how we think, how we partner, and how we deliver.

One of the hardest things we do, on every single project, is working out how to maximise shared value, and especially community value, from development opportunities.

Community value is not a fixed concept. It is a living, evolving expression of what a place needs, wants, and hopes for. That makes it hard to define, harder to measure, and hardest of all to embed in projects that are complex, capital-intensive, and governed by systems that are not always built to hold nuance. But at Stories we firmly believe that the process of development should be centred on community value, rather than being led just by financial returns.

Some of the community represented by Mayday Saxonvale, Frome

We have learned a lot over the years about pursuing community value through our projects, and we are still learning. But here are three big challenges we regularly face, and some of the ways we try to respond.

Challenge 1: Community value means different things to different people

Every project brings a wide range of views on what value looks like. Residents may want security, green space, or job opportunities. Local authorities tend to focus on affordable housing numbers. Landowners may be guided by legacy commitments. Investors may be seeking stable, long-term returns. None of these priorities are wrong, but they are rarely fully aligned.

Our approach: We treat the process of development as an opportunity to build shared understanding – to try and create alignment where perhaps it has been difficult in the past. At the outset we probably spend more time than most developers in bringing people together and listening carefully, using financial modelling, workshops, one-to-one conversations, and design-led engagement to uncover what really matters. When our partners are keen to press on to prepare a planning application, spending more time on community and partner engagement can be tricky for them to buy in to.

My colleagues (James especially…) talk a lot about starting with ‘why’, and this is a good way to frame this process. Whilst it’s impossible to please all of the people all of the time, getting agreement about the overall direction is essential. We often talk of this as setting the vision and mission of a project.

In parallel, we have learnt that the commercial agreements we have with the relevant landowner and investment partners need to acknowledge the vision for a project, and that in almost all cases we will be trying to balance a series of competing objectives. We are excited by the potential for relational contracts in this area, more of which you can read about here.

Challenge 2: The planning system is flexible in theory but often rigid in practice

The UK’s discretionary planning system is designed to allow for innovation and adaptability. In reality, it can make it harder to make bold or long-term commitments. Uncertainty about planning support, coupled with frequent changes in staffing in local authorities, creates risk for everyone involved.

This is especially difficult in areas where local planning teams are stretched, where policy is unclear, or where political leadership changes frequently. Even when we want to commit to ambitious long-term outcomes, such as stewardship models or climate targets, the system often makes it hard to do so with confidence.

Our approach: One of the ways that we address this challenge is by looking for leaders we can work with and try, wherever possible, to build relationships that span political groups. Trust, if you like. Where we can, we support councils in articulating their ambitions more clearly and consistently - whether that means co-writing development frameworks, shaping principle-led agreements, or contributing to more strategic, place-based approaches. We know that leadership changes, so we advocate for tools and processes that can endure through political and staffing transitions. Trust takes time to build, but it is one of the most valuable foundations for meaningful and purposeful development.

Challenge 3: The economics often do not support the outcomes we want

Many of the things that deliver long-term benefit to communities, such as affordable homes, generous public space, sustainable design, or ongoing stewardship, cost more than conventional delivery models allow. At the same time, development appraisals are often tight, and our partners have their own obligations and responsibilities to deliver returns.

We regularly find ourselves balancing social value against financial viability, especially in projects involving public land or pension fund capital.

Our approach: One of my main jobs at Stories is to help build the financial appraisals, not just to test feasibility, but as a way to open up new conversations. We run multiple versions of schemes to understand how value can be shifted or unlocked. And this isn’t restricted to scheme design or tenure splits, we look for opportunities to blend funding sources, create new revenue streams, or share risk in creative ways. That might mean phasing delivery differently, exploring leasehold income, or partnering with public or impact-led investors. Above all, we are transparent about trade-offs, so that decisions are made consciously and collaboratively.

Why this work matters

None of this is easy. It takes creativity, patience, and trust. It often means going a bit slower, inviting people to share risks, and asking harder questions of our partners. Sometimes it means walking away from options that do not meet the standard we have set for ourselves.

But we believe it is worth it. When it works, the result is a place that feels rooted, connected, and meaningful. It is a project that delivers not just numbers, but relationships. And it is a process that makes everyone involved want to do it again.

If development is going to serve the public good, we have to keep asking one core question: value for whom? And we have to be willing to stay in that question until we find answers that are both bold and practical.

If you are facing the same questions, we would love to talk, share ideas, or simply listen.