Development Communications

What Development Communications does

Development Communications Ltd (trading as DevComms) is a UK-based stakeholder engagement consultancy that operates exclusively in the property and planning sector. The firm advises property developers, housebuilders, investors, renewable energy developers, infrastructure consortia, and local authorities on navigating the political and community dynamics of the UK planning process, with services spanning strategic advice, community consultation, political engagement, and planning application support. The company is structured as a private limited company governed by the laws of England and Wales, with a headquarters in Moreton, Thame, Oxfordshire and regional offices in Birmingham (Midlands), Reading (South East), Cambridge (East), and Cheltenham (South West).

DevComms' core service offering is supplemented by two proprietary product lines. Consult With You is a white-label digital consultation platform offering virtual reality exhibitions, embedded surveys, interactive plans, webinar hosting, and video capabilities, structured as a subscription product across multiple package tiers (Starter, Plus, Virtual, Complete). DevComms PR, established in 2025 as a Group-level business line under Managing Director Sam Kandiyali, provides community-focused public relations services including media relations, event planning, social media, and content creation. Revenue is generated through professional services project engagements and multi-year subscription licensing of the Consult With You platform.

DevComms' go-to-market is relationship-driven and regionally structured, with directors and account managers maintaining ongoing engagement with national developers, investors, and local government bodies. The firm markets through thought-leadership content, partnership with UK Property Forums (where it serves as political engagement partner), regional roundtables, a newsletter, and organic social media. Its client base includes major UK housebuilders and developers (Taylor Wimpey, Barratt David Wilson, Countryside Properties/Vistry, Urban & Civic, McLaren Property, Thames Properties), infrastructure clients (East West Rail Consortium), retail operators (Sainsbury's, Wyevale Garden Centres, Haskins), sports bodies (Oxford United FC), and local authorities (Chelmsford City Council, Reading Council). The company is founder-owned, with Managing Director Rob Allaway at the helm since founding, and operates without disclosed external institutional investment.

Name

Development Communications

Legal name

Development Communications Ltd

Website

https://devcomms.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DevComms is a UK-based stakeholder engagement consultancy that serves property developers, housebuilders, investors, local authorities, and renewable energy developers with political engagement, community consultation, and proprietary digital consultation tools for planning applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Property Stakeholder Engagement and Planning Consultation Services

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (54182), Public Relations Agencies (541820)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Infrastructure Planning, Capital Programs & Project Delivery Offices (PMOs) (BPAIALAJ)

Keywords

• Stakeholder engagement services
• Planning consultation
• Community engagement
• Property communications
• Political engagement consultancy

Headquarters

HQ city

Thame

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Stakeholder Engagement Consultancy Services: Professional consulting services for political and community stakeholder engagement in the planning process. Services include strategic advice, community consultation, political engagement, and planning application support for property development projects.
2. Digital Consultation Platform (Consult With You): Subscription-based access to the Consult With You digital toolkit with multiple package tiers (Starter, Plus, Virtual, Complete Package, Multimedia). Revenue generated through platform licensing fees based on selected features and project requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Development Communications (DevComms) is a UK-based stakeholder engagement consultancy that delivers political and community engagement strategy, planning application support, and community consultation for property developers, investors, housebuilders, and local authorities. Its service portfolio combines bespoke stakeholder engagement consultancy with the proprietary Consult With You digital consultation toolkit (providing virtual reality exhibitions, interactive plans, embedded surveys, webinars, and video) and a community-focused DevComms PR service covering media relations, events, social media, and content creation.

Product overview

Development Communications (DevComms) operates as a stakeholder engagement consultancy offering two primary product lines: Consult With You, a digital consultation toolkit providing virtual exhibitions, surveys, webinars, interactive plans, and video capabilities; and DevComms PR, a community-focused public relations service. The core offering is supplemented by strategic stakeholder engagement services across the built environment sector, including residential, industrial, renewable energy, and infrastructure projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Consult With You: A digital consultation toolkit developed by DevComms offering virtual reality exhibitions, embedded surveys, webinars, interactive plans, and video services for stakeholder engagement in planning and development projects. Has been nominated for industry awards.
• DevComms PR

Products and services

• DevComms Stakeholder Engagement Services Political and community stakeholder engagement consultancy for property developers, investors, housebuilders, local authorities, and renewable energy clients across residential, industrial, renewable energy, and infrastructure sectors. Services cover strategic advice, community consultation, political engagement, and planning application support delivered through regional teams.
• Consult With You Digital consultation platform providing virtual reality exhibitions, embedded surveys, interactive plans, webinars, video hosting, and white-label branding for stakeholder engagement on planning and development projects. Sold to clients in tiered subscription packages including Starter, Plus, Virtual, Complete Package, and Multimedia.
• DevComms PR Community-focused public relations service offering strategic communications, media relations, event planning, social media, and content creation to build authentic relationships with stakeholders, enhance reputations, and drive engagement for clients in the development and planning sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% approval rating achieved for Altira Park development from local community
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• UK Property ForumscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDevComms is the political engagement partner for UK Property Forums, providing industry updates and insight for publication across UKPF newsletters and partner publications including Thames Tap, Arc Watch, Eastern Echo and London West. The partnership involves hosting roundtable events and producing thought leadership content.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lex Communications: UK-based planning and development communications specialist that directly competes with DevComms for property developer and local authority clients on political and community stakeholder engagement work for planning applications.
• BECG: Largest UK planning and built environment communications consultancy (now part of Teneo); directly competes with DevComms on planning applications, community engagement and stakeholder consultation across property, infrastructure and energy.

Broad incumbents

• Teneo: Global strategic communications advisory that owns BECG; competes in the broader communications consultancy space and offers political engagement, public affairs and corporate communications capabilities that overlap with DevComms' offering.
• Brunswick Group: Global strategic communications firm with a real estate and property practice; competes with DevComms on high-stakes developer and investor communications, M&A situations and stakeholder engagement work.
• APCO Worldwide: Global public affairs and strategic communications consultancy with a real estate practice; competes with DevComms on stakeholder engagement, planning consultation and corporate positioning for property developers and investors.
• FGS Global: Global strategic communications and public affairs firm (formed by Finsbury, Glover Hering and The Swayven Group); provides political engagement, public affairs and corporate communications services overlapping with DevComms' value proposition.
• FTI Consulting: Global professional services firm with a strategic communications segment; competes with DevComms on real estate communications, public affairs and crisis/stakeholder engagement for developer clients.
• Four Communications Group: UK-headquartered communications group with property, planning and public affairs practices; serves property developers, investors and local authorities on similar engagement challenges to DevComms.
• MHP Group: UK strategic communications consultancy with property, planning and infrastructure practices; competes for developer and investor clients on stakeholder engagement and political communications work.
• Portland Communications: Global strategic communications and public affairs consultancy; offers stakeholder engagement, public affairs and corporate positioning services that overlap with DevComms' offering for complex planning and development clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/devcommsltd
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/devcomms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Development Communications