Expertise

Planning Application Consultancy

We work on planning applications for residential, commercial or householder projects. Our approach to each project is tailored to the site and your requirements.

Our job is to make your application efficient and cost-effective. We will draw together all the key elements for your planning application to achieve the result you want.

With a solid understanding of local and national policies, legal frameworks and the planning system, our team of specialist consultants will bring everything together for your scheme. They will project manage the preparation of your application as well as taking it through to a decision.

Planning Appraisals & Advice

We can advise on the planning potential of your project. We research planning history and identify any relevant or emerging local and national policies to analyse specific constraints and opportunities.

With this information, we can recommend a course of action to steer your development through to decision and provide strategy options that could optimise the use of your site.

Strategic Development Planning & Plans

Whether you are a landowner, developer or have other interests in land, it is vital that you are actively involved in the development plan system at the earliest stage to ensure your interests are protected and your assets are promoted.

We can support and advise you on medium and longer term planning strategies so you can shape your land portfolio accordingly. We carefully monitor the emergence of local plans and supporting evidence documents and we engage in the promotion of development sites through submissions at all stages of consultation – putting you in the best position to achieve your objectives.

Initial Advice & Pre-Application Submissions

To minimise potential risks in your planning project, we can do three things:

1.
Undertake a rapid site appraisal to provide an early and solid planning strategy, with key issues highlighted and addressed
2.

Make an initial, pre-planning application approach to the relevant authority on your behalf, to understand their position and, where possible, respond to this in any subsequent planning application

3.

Agree with you the most appropriate approach to achieving planning permission

Discharge of conditions

When a planning authority grants planning permission, they might attach planning conditions.

This allows the Council to exert further control over the proposed development. For the development to move forward, the applicant must adhere to the planning conditions.

Some of these conditions may still need to be approved by the local authority – for example the type and colour of building materials. We can submit and support you to discharge your conditions so that your development can go ahead.

Appeals

No one wants an appeal, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. If planning has failed, we’d love to represent you in your appeal.

Our background, knowledge and ethos mean we will cut to the chase, quickly focus on the facts and provide your case with the best prospects.

Our approach to appeals is tenacious and our innovative thinking has brought many appeals to a successful conclusion when at first they may have seemed to be lost causes. Contact us to discuss your needs and let’s see if we can help you.

Permitted Development

Some projects don’t require express planning permission as they qualify under “permitted development rights”.

These rights cover a wide range of works including building operations, extensions, demolition and certain changes of use and they can apply to both residential and non-residential properties.

We can help you gain a clearer understanding of which permitted development rights may apply to your project, what is likely to be accepted under permitted development, or whether a prior approval certificate is required.