Over the past decade, Social Value has become the new currency for responsible business – not just in public sector projects, but across all industries.
For real estate, the opportunity is perhaps even greater. With the size, complexity, and diversity of stakeholders involved, the sector has a unique ability to embed positive outcomes that strengthen communities and create long-term value.
In the context of the built environment, social value is created when buildings, places and infrastructure support environmental, economic and social wellbeing, and in doing so improve the quality of life of people. Exactly which environmental, economic and social outcomes create social value will depend on the best interests of the people most impacted by the project or built asset.
The UK Green Building Council
💡 Learn: What is Social Value? Definitions and examples
In this guide, we explore best practice for unlocking Social Value across each stage of the RIBA Plan of Work.
Table of contents
- Why does Social Value matter in real estate?
- How real estate assets create Social Value
- RIBA Stages 0-3: Social Value Strategy Creation
- RIBA Stages 4-5: Procurement & Measurement
- RIBA Stage 6-7: In-Use
- What's next?
Why does Social Value matter in real estate?
Future-focused real estate businesses are leveraging Social Value as a strategic tool to overcome of the most pressing challenges facing the sector – here are a few examples:
Tackling local needs to build better places
Taking a targeted approach to identifying and addressing the social, economic, and environmental challenges of a community won’t just create a better community. It will also lead to better commercial performance, since places that have been co-designed with the community naturally attract and retain more residents.
✅ Solution: Social Value offers a methodology to identify the strengths in a community and target local needs – creating positive relationships and building trust within communities.
See how a Local Needs Analysis tool can uncover the most pressing needs of your community:
💡 Want to try it? Speak to an expert!
Winning planning permissions
Planning authorities across the UK are now beginning to formally incorporate Social Value into their processes, often via Section 106 agreements or other mechanisms.
For instance:
- Salford City Council: Requires a Social Value strategy for all major planning submissions under Policy F2 of its Local Plan 🏘️ Read the full story here
- Southampton City Council: Mandates developers to submit a Social Value Statement and signposts the city’s key Social Value priorities early in the process 🏙️ Read the full story here
✅ Solution: A clear Social Value strategy supporting the local authority’s priorities will strengthen your planning submissions.
Building community trust
A 2019 Grosvenor survey of 2,183 people revealed a deep trust deficit in the planning system: just 2% of the public trusted developers, and only 7% trusted local authorities.
In 2025, Social Value Portal’s Real Estate Wellbeing Survey followed up, gathering responses from over 5,600 people on their trust in developers and authorities. The results show modest progress:
- 16% of the public now trust private developers and local councils
- The proportion of people who actively distrust developers has dropped by 24%
- Trust is lower among lower-income groups and older demographics
- Urban areas report higher trust levels than rural areas
While trust remains fragile, the upward trend aligns with the growing adoption of Social Value strategies by planning authorities and real estate developers. Correlation isn’t causation — but the data suggests a shift in the right direction.
✅ Solution: Planning for Social Value – and, crucially, reporting the outcomes – has the power to transform the relationship between communities and developers by rebuilding trust.
Legislative pressure to measure the 'S' in ESG
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting has become a top priority, but many businesses find the "S" – Social – hard to quantify without a clear framework.
✅ Solution: A Social Value measurement framework like the TOM System™ gives the Social element of your ESG credibility and transparency.
Measuring outcomes across the full lifecycle
Many developers assess their impact in isolated ways (like jobs created or apprenticeships offered during construction) without a full-lifecycle view across assets and supply chains.
✅ Solution: Adopt a consistent approach to tracking and managing Social Value across planning, design, construction, and occupancy, giving you a full view of your portfolio-wide impact.
💡 Read more: Five benefits of using the Social Value £
Strengthening tenant relationships
More and more tenants want community-conscious landlords who can support their own ESG goals and community contributions.
✅ Solution: Make Social Value an integral part of your offering to attract sustainable and responsible tenants, while reducing churn and fit-out costs.
Attracting investors
Investors are shifting capital toward impact-led projects that deliver both financial returns and social benefits.
In the past these things were seen as “nice-to-have”, but now we’re seeing that they have real financial implications in terms of valuations.
Eoin Leonard, CEO and Founder, Catalyst
✅ Solution: Differentiate your developments with a strong Social Value proposition. According to Morgan Stanley research:
- 77% of investors are interested in sustainable investing
- 54% expect to increase sustainable allocations within 12 months
How real estate assets create Social Value
According to JLL research, while 93% of real estate organisations report having a Social Value strategy, only 8% are considered market leaders.
That gap presents a real opportunity for those willing to go deeper. But to do it well, you need to embed Social Value across the entire real estate lifecycle.
Where does Social Value happen?
In fact, based on our work with clients, the typical breakdown looks like this:
Construction: 20%
- Working with local suppliers
Building Management: 20%
- Using local service suppliers
- Working with local charities,
- Supply chain engagement with community
- Managing on-site renewables
Occupancy: 60%
- Occupier engagement with local community
- Employment opportunities for those furthest from job market
- Decarbonisation initiatives
Key Insight: The majority of opportunity lies during the occupancy phase, but value is built from the very start.
Next, we’re going to break down what Social Value creation looks like at each stage of the RIBA Plan of Work, including the design and pre-planning stage – with hands-on examples of the leaders already doing it.
Stages 0-3: Social Value strategy creation
The aim during RIBA Stages 0–3 is simple: set a clear Social Value vision.
Here's how to get it right.
0. Strategic definition
Goal: Define how your project will create Social Value and meet community needs, local policy, and potential partners.
Conduct a Local Needs Analysis & Deprivation Analysis
Without a clear picture of local challenges, strategies risk becoming scattergun and ineffective.
A Local Needs Analysis will give you the data to understand what issues the community might be facing. Is it educational attainment? Crime rates? Unemployment?
You should also engage with local authorities, third-sector organisations, and community leaders to shape a Social Value vision that targets real priorities.
Review local policy
Many planning authorities now require Social Value proposals and may specify preferred frameworks like the TOM System to help developers focus their proposals on priority outcomes. Research local policy thoroughly to align early and strengthen your submission.
Identify community partners
Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprises (VCFSEs) are vital delivery partners. Their deep, local knowledge and trusted relationships make them ideal collaborators for long-term impact.
Key early deliverables
By the end of Stage 0 you should have:
- A stakeholder schedule with prioritisation
- A Social Value briefing session or workshop with the client
- An early governance structure defining roles and responsibilities around Social Value
1. Preparation and Planning
Goal: Engage the community to building trust, gather input, and make residents part of the planning process.
Conduct a community consultation
As we’ve already seen, only a small proportion of the public trusts developers and authorities to create real estate that responds to the needs of the community.
Real engagement with residents is the key to turning this around. Here are effective methods that you could consider:
- Surveys: Gather broad initial feedback
- Focus groups: Deep-dive with key stakeholder groups
- Drop-in sessions: Create informal, low-pressure opportunities for feedback
- Community design informants: Involve community reps throughout design development
- Ongoing communications: Newsletters, social media, and community noticeboards to maintain momentum
Example: In a youth workshop led by Muse and Social Value Portal, 33 members of Oldham Youth Council (aged 11–21) drafted Social Value proposals for a development. Their ideas helped shape Muse’s final strategy for the redevelopment of Oldham Town Centre.
💡 Read: Consultant Fiona McCully explains community engagement
Meanwhile Use
Don’t wait for construction to finish to deliver value. Based on local needs, you may be able to offer temporary placemaking or community initiatives on-site.
Example: Landsec transformed 65 Old Broad Street into a creative, educational space supporting local artists and schools — even before permanent use began.
2. Concept Design
Goal: Embed Social Value into the design of the development, making it a part of the place’s DNA.
Prioritise wellbeing in design for impactful placemaking
Buildings affect how we live, work, and connect. So, if you want to create a place in which people can truly thrive, it’s key to design in a way that promotes wellbeing.
In the past, it’s been hard to do this in a robust, data-driven way. However, new tools like the Real Estate Wellbeing Calculator (REWC) offers enable design teams to measure and embed wellbeing from the earliest stages of the development process.
💡 Explore: A data-driven approach to wellbeing in real estate
Host a design team workshop
Bring your design team and stakeholders together to explore how Social Value can be actively designed into the project.
These workshops align everyone on goals, spark fresh thinking, and identify opportunities to enhance community outcomes through architecture.
3. Spatial Coordination
Goal: Sharpen your understanding of how your development will interact with, and uplift, the community.
Conduct Socio-economic and Social Value Assessments
Socio-economic and Social Value assessments are two effective tools that, together, will give you a holistic picture of your impact:
- Socio-economic Assessment: Measures your development’s standard economic contribution.
- Social Value Assessment: Looks at how your real estate can create added impact, for instance by employing underserved groups or promoting skills development.
At Social Value Portal, we use a layered approach to assess four key ‘channels of influence’ through which real estate will create a socio-economic impact.
A development’s four key ‘channels of influence’
💡 Learn more: Socio-Economic vs Social Value Assessments
Create a place-based Social Value framework
Now that you know what the community needs and how your project can help, build a place-based strategy using a measurement framework.
You should map local priorities to tangible actions and align your delivery plan with what matters most to the people who will use the space. The graphic below breaks down this process:
How to create a place-based Social Value framework
The TOM System is widely used by local authorities and real estate businesses, from Salford City Council to Unibail-Westfield-Rodamco, for a truly strategic approach to placemaking. Its standardised yet flexible structure allows users to turn community priorities into reportable measures.
Salford City Council’s Regeneration TOM System is a great example, and the council has shared the framework with prospective developers to shape their submissions, planning and designs.
🏘️ Read: Salford City Council’s guidance to developers
Create a Social Value Statement
Consolidate your work into a formal Social Value Statement for your client, supply chain, and planning authority. It should include:
- Your Local Needs Analysis
- Social Value targets and KPIs
- Identified partners and delivery strategy
- A long-term vision for community impact
💡 Tip: Include an infographic summarising your approach at a glance to improve accessibility for non-technical stakeholders.
Stages 4-5: Procurement & Measurement
Now that your Social Value vision is defined, the focus shifts to formalising your delivery mechanisms: particularly procurement, supply chain engagement, and early-stage reporting.
4. Technical Design
Goal: Embed Social Value commitments into your specifications and procurement processes.
Procure for impact
Procurement is one of the most powerful levers you have for delivering Social Value at scale. Here’s how to do it well:
- Invitation to Tender (ITT): Include clear Social Value criteria with a minimum 10% weighting.
- Pre-bid engagement: Share your Social Value Statement with prospective bidders and consider hosting a Social Value webinar to clarify expectations.
- Contractor briefing: Once appointed, run a dedicated Social Value workshop to co-develop an action plan and ensure commitments are reflected in contracts.
Tip: Use a RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) to clarify roles across your delivery team.
5. Manufacturing and Construction
Goal: Move from planning to execution, ensuring what was promised is actually delivered.
Unlock on-site delivery
Once boots are on the ground, the construction process will offer many opportunities for your tier one construction partner to unlock Social Value, including:
- Collaboration with training providers to promote local employment
- Offering upskilling and apprenticeship programmes
- Working with schools or job centres to develop labour pipelines
Example: The Ebbsfleet Garden City regeneration project, led by the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, has seen the business work closely with suppliers to create some incredible Social Value outcomes, including:
- Approximately 20% of construction jobs going to local residents
- Apprenticeship schemes for young people
- 54 local people upskilled, of whom 36 were ‘Not in employment, education or training’ (NEET), with 33 going straight into work
💡 Read the full story: How buildings create Social Value
Report Social Value
Delivery-stage reporting is key to accountability. In our experience, monthly or quarterly reporting helps ensure commitments made during design are upheld during construction.
We recommend using a centralised reporting hub, ideally aligned to your chosen framework, to:
- Visualise and track live performance
- Collaborate with external partners and suppliers
- Manage Social Value across multiple sites, assets, and projects
Here’s how industry leader Wates approaches Social Value during the construction phase:
Stages 6-7: In-Use
When the construction dust has settled, some of your development’s biggest impact opportunities will still be there to be grasped.
Let’s look at the key steps to maintaining and growing your Social Value legacy.
6. Handover
Goal: Transition to occupancy while embedding long-term Social Value commitments into your building’s operations.
Create a Social Value Occupiers Charter
Create an Occupiers Charter to formalise Social Value expectations for future tenants and building managers. This can include:
- Commitments to community engagement
- Employment and volunteering goals
- ESG alignment with local and social priorities
Tip: Go a step further by embedding Social Value into social lease agreements and building management contracts. The BBP Green Lease Toolkit contains actionable guidance.
Evaluating and improving
Use this moment to:
- Gather feedback from clients and community members
- Assess what was delivered versus what was promised
- Document lessons learned for future projects
You can also consider hosting opening events or storytelling campaigns to showcase the development’s positive impact. These moments help reinforce credibility and celebrate the community’s role.
7. Use
Goal: Maximise Social Value delivery through ongoing management, community engagement, and operational innovation.
During occupation, there are many powerful ways to continue delivering value – for instance:
Community engagement & volunteering
- Run community events on-site
- Offer space for local initiatives
- Facilitate staff or tenant volunteering programmes
Upskilling and employment
- Offer apprenticeships in partnership with local providers
- Provide employment opportunities to underrepresented groups
- Create learning hubs or career support spaces
Responsible operations
- Use local and diverse suppliers for building maintenance
- Adopt environmentally sustainable practices
- Embed circular economy principles in operational processes
Spotlight: Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield assessed Social Value across two of its flagship in-use assets (Westfield Stratford City and Westfield London) using the GRESB-certified Real Estate Social Value Index (RESVI).
They found that in 2022…
- Westfield Stratford City delivered £9,772,434
- Westfield London delivered £12,936,856
💡 Deep dive: Social Value at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
What next?
Social Value is fast becoming a defining feature of responsible, future-proof real estate that responds to local needs. Done right, it shapes your project from the earliest design stages and creates a meaningful legacy that lasts long after construction ends.
Now is the time to shift from ambition to action and start creating a more sustainable built environment.
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