Helping to secure deliverable planning permissions
As your planning and development experts, we provide pragmatic, commercially astute and clear planning advice and support, led by a team of highly experienced and fully chartered members of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).
We work with a wide variety of private and public sector clients nationwide on a diverse range of projects including regeneration, housing, commercial, industrial, leisure, healthcare and education developments. Existing clients include local authorities, leisure operators, housebuilders, registered providers, NHS trusts and higher education providers.
Alongside these sectors, our team also provides technical planning advice in relation to energy, minerals, and waste projects nationwide, working with international, national and local scale firms.
Site Appraisal and Planning Strategy
Planning Strategy Formulation
Determining the optimum planning strategy for a development project to have the best chance of success in securing a deliverable planning consent.
Planning Policy Appraisals
Establishing the planning policy context to a potential development site and assessing the opportunities and constraints in order to consider the likelihood of gaining planning permission.
Planning Due Diligence
Providing professional advice and technical planning support as part of a potential acquisition or auditing process.
Biodiversity Net Gain
Expert advice on BNG obligations to ensure this is factored into the design approach and viable assessment and any ecological surveys needed are undertaken at the appropriate time through our trusted associate ecologists.
Planning Applications and Appeals
Pre-Application Enquiries
Consultation with local planning authorities and statutory consultees to agree parameters for development and the scope of works for any associated technical assessments.
Planning Applications
Managing the preparation and submission of planning applications and leading the assembly of a team of technical experts, where needed, to produce the required input to support the projects aims.
Planning Obligations and Conditions
Direct engagement and negotiation with local planning authorities in relation to the provision of Section 106 Agreements and preparing information to discharge planning conditions.
Planning Appeals and Expert Witness
Challenging decisions on planning applications through appeal to the Planning Inspectorate Including appeals undertaken via Written Representations, Hearings and Public Inquiry.
Technical Assessment
Environmental Impact Assessment
Including the production of Environmental Screening and Scoping Reports and co-ordination with technical specialists in the preparation of Environmental Statements and Non-technical summaries.
Technical Planning Related Assessment
Preparing specialist planning reports including Housing Need, Open Space, Retail Impact, Mineral Safeguarding and Sustainability Assessments.
Heritage and Conservation
Providing specialist advice on the key considerations and potential design solutions when undertaking development that could impact heritage assets including securing Listed Building Consent.
Project Management
Coordinating and managing a team of technical specialists to undertake detailed assessment and create a robust evidence base to support planning applications.
Consultations and Engagement
Community Engagement
Creating a bespoke dialogue with community stakeholders through a number of different methods including arranging and facilitating public exhibitions and workshops and direct engagement with local community groups.
Representations and Objections
Preparing representations on behalf of individuals or businesses to provide critical feedback on development proposals or outright objections based on recognised material considerations.
Consultation Materials
Producing materials to support consultation with the public on proposed developments including exhibition boards, project specific websites, consultation flyers and questionnaires.
Research and Analysis
Undertaking nationwide research exercises to produce data for analysis that can help identity trends and allow clients to make informed decisions about where new development may be appropriate and the evidence needed to prove this.
Site Finding and Land Promotion
Site Identification
Using planning and other specialist GIS data and mapping software to identify potential development opportunities and the relevant landownership details.
Site Appraisal
Undertaking detailed site appraisals to assess potential environmental and technical constraints, design considerations and development opportunities in the context of planning policy.
Land and Site Promotion
Engagement with local planning authorities to promote specific development sites and strategic land through the local plan preparation process to secure development allocations.
Local Plan Consultation
Preparing detailed representations to provide critical feedback on local plan policy formulation and to promote specific development opportunities.
Permitted Development and Enforcement
Prior Approval
Preparing applications requesting prior approval from the local planning authority that demonstrate qualification for permitted development including demolition, solar PV panels and building extensions.
Permitted Change of Use
Applications to demonstrate compliance with the qualifying criteria in the General Permitted Development Order for change of use, including change of use from agricultural buildings to dwellinghouses or buildings in commercial use to dwellinghouses.
Lawful Development Certificates
Applications to secure a Lawful Development Certificate to demonstrate development has been undertaken lawfully or planning permission is extant or that there is immunity from enforcement.
Enforcement Resolution
Responding to enforcement notices on behalf of clients to help resolve issues in a timely manner with an outcome acceptable to all parties.
Have a project we could help you with? Don’t hesitate to get in touch.