Our team have kicked off 2026 advising on several major housing projects across London and other UK regions, including urban extensions and strategic-scale developments.

A clear understanding of future demographic change has been central to assessing the social and community infrastructure (SCI) needs of these new communities and ensuring long term health, wellbeing, and social value outcomes. In this article, we offer a look at some of the key factors driving our approaches.

What has been changing in recent times?

The release of the 2025 National Pupil Projections and the latest ONS 2022-based population projections, for example, highlighted important shifts: declining net international migration, lower birth rates, and smaller household sizes have brought an end to the sustained growth in school pupil numbers seen since 2010. Internal migration—largely driven by housing delivery—is now the primary factor influencing local pupil populations. As a result, demand for school places and wider infrastructure varies significantly across the country; some areas face rising need, while London is expected to experience the fastest decline. With the Government’s commitment to delivering 1.5 million new homes, understanding these local dynamics is critical to creating sustainable communities.

At GC Insight, we recognise the pivotal role of human behaviour in shaping economic success. The most successful masterplans are those built on a deep understanding of how people live, interact, and access services, generating a strong sense of place and belonging.

How does this influence our approach to housing projects?

Across our housing projects, we support clients in identifying current and future needs for education, health, community facilities, and open and play space. During early masterplanning, this assessment is necessarily iterative as site parameters and housing numbers evolve. We work closely with clients to test and refine scenarios, balancing on-site provision with the capacity of existing and planned infrastructure.

Our approach includes:

• Establishing a detailed baseline of existing services, capacity, and planned provision, supported by engagement with local stakeholders to ensure an accurate, place‑specific understanding.
• Modelling demographic change and assessing population and child yields to identify trends affecting future demand, combined with analysis of local policy requirements.
• High‑level testing of housing numbers and associated SCI needs, refining assumptions as the masterplan develops.

By the time a planning submission is prepared, our clients have a well‑evidenced, stakeholder‑supported masterplan that can meet SCI requirements—through existing capacity, on‑site provision, or mitigation—helping secure a clear route through EIA and planning processes.

Interested to chat about the latest developments in shifting demographics or to learn more about our work? Get in touch with our team here.