Mortgage guide

Additional units or planning permission

One of the key benefits of mezzanine funding in property development is its ability to boost overall leverage.

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Additional units or planning permission

We recognise that property development rarely goes exactly to plan, and that’s often a good thing. If you’ve secured additional planning permission mid-project or gained approval to build extra units, you may now require more capital than initially anticipated. When your senior lender isn’t willing to increase their loan, mezzanine funding can offer a smart solution. Rather than refinancing the entire loan, mezzanine development finance allows you to raise additional funding through a second charge facility, complementing your existing loan structure.

One of the key benefits of mezzanine funding in property development is its ability to boost overall leverage. For qualifying developments, we can access mezzanine facilities offering up to 65-80% Loan to Gross Development Value (LTGDV). This means you can borrow a greater proportion of the final completed value, ideal when the development scope has grown due to new planning approvals or uplifted GDV. It provides extra capital without the need to dismantle your existing finance agreement.

We also work with lenders that provide up to 95% Loan to Cost (LTC), helping you fund nearly all of your revised construction costs. Whether you’re adding floors, increasing unit density, or changing use class post-approval, this structure allows you to proceed without injecting significant additional equity. It’s a popular option for developers who’ve added value to the site through planning gains and want to maximise returns without delay.

As experienced mezzanine finance brokers, Mortgage Lane has access to a wide network of mezzanine funding providers in the UK who understand these scenarios. We source finance from lenders who are comfortable sitting behind senior debt and who specialise in stepped or restructured developments. This ensures that your project can adapt and grow without facing funding restrictions.

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Indicative estimate only, based on the figures you enter and the ceilings shown. Lenders also assess experience, planning, the build contract and the exit. This is not an offer of finance. Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a loan secured on it.

Mezzanine financing criteria

For context, these are the wider product terms covered by this guide. Availability and eligibility depend on your circumstances and the lender.

Mezzanine financing criteria
CriteriaDetail
BorrowersPersonal, Ltd co, LLP, Trusts, Offshore Trusts
TermMax 24 months
Max Applicants6
Loan to Gross Development Value (LTGDV)Max 75%
Loan to Cost (LTC)Up to 95%

About the author

Joseph Lane CeMAP is an expert development finance broker

Founder, CEO

Calls and emails here go to Joseph personally, not to a general inbox.

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+44 7487 829005joe@mortgagelane.comMore about Joseph

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Frequently asked questions

What is planning permission in principle?

Planning permission in principle is the Scottish counterpart of outline planning consent. It establishes that a development is acceptable in principle, with the detail (layout, design and landscaping) approved later as matters specified in conditions. The development cannot begin until those matters are approved, and building work needs a building warrant before it starts, so development lenders usually want both in place before they release build funding. Each lender sets its own conditions.

Do London HMOs need planning permission?

Properties in areas under an Article 4 direction need explicit planning permission to operate as HMOs. The planning position varies by borough and should be confirmed before purchase.

Do boarding kennels need planning permission?

Yes. Boarding kennels need planning permission for the use, which is usually classed as sui generis, and consents often carry conditions on animal numbers, operating hours, exercise areas and noise. The owner's accommodation needs its own residential consent, and a tied or temporary consent on the dwelling restricts who can live there.

Do I need planning permission for a title split?

A title split is a legal process rather than a planning one, but the flats must already have planning permission or established lawful use as separate dwellings, and building regulations approval, for lenders to accept them individually.

Can I bridge a plot without planning permission?

Some lenders bridge land without planning permission at low loan-to-values, but the exit is uncertain until planning is granted. Most self-builders buy plots with planning, or with an option conditional on planning.

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