Our Services
Providing a wide range of town planning & development consultancy advice.
Site Promotion
Planning Applications
Permitted development rights
Stakeholder Engagement
Appeals
Project Management
Site Promotion
The starting point for many projects is ‘plan-making’: promoting the principle of development through the local plan process, potentially over several years.
We can provide a monitoring service for a particular local authority district ensuring that you understand its approach to new development, and when to make representations on emerging local development framework documents, including supplementary guidance, Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and Neighbourhood Plans.
We can then prepare representations at key stages in the process, and ultimately appear on your behalf at Examination in Public or other hearing.
Planning Applications
The planning application (or ‘decision-taking’) process can be split into various stages:
01
Pre-Planning Application
02
Preparation & Submission of Planning Applications
03
Post submission to Determination
Planning Appraisals
We would assess the key planning considerations for a site, including the surrounding context, its planning history, relevant policy review and a discussion of the key issues, with a recommended strategy for achieving either an allocation or planning permission.
Pre-application advice
Most local planning authorities offer a structured, paid, approach to the provision of pre- application advice. We can coordinate and manage this process including developing relationships with key officers and other stakeholders, and the preparation of support statements. We can also advise on whether such an approach is needed in achieving your goals.
We are highly experienced in preparing, submitting, and managing all types of planning application, including outline, detailed and ‘hybrid’ applications, as well as reserved matters approvals (RMAs).
We can manage all aspects of this process including the management of project teams, preparation of supporting material including the planning statement and advice on all other documentation forming the suite of application documents. We can also submit the application and liaise with the local authority on your behalf ensuring it is valid and ready for consideration by the case officer.
We are also highly experienced in the post submission stage through to determination, often by Planning Committee, and issuing of planning or other type of permission following the completion of a s.106 Agreement.
We work closely with the client and other team members to ensure that the number and type of planning conditions is appropriate. We can also help understand the effect of planning condition and s.106 trigger points in the overall project appraisal. We also help negotiate s.106 Heads of Terms and the final package of planning obligations, liaising closely with you, your solicitor and other consultants during this process.
Permitted development rights and other processes
- Permitted Development Rights:
Embedded within the planning system are separate rights securing automatic permission for certain categories of development. Known as permitted development (PD) rights, they apply to certain changes of use as well as physical alterations to buildings and other changes. The system of PD rights is constantly evolving, particularly as efforts are made by the government to encourage certain types of development, for example for stimulating economic growth or housing development. We have a detailed understanding of PD rights and can advise you on the opportunities they might present, either on their own terms or as part of a wider strategy.
- Prior Approval:
Although this is designed to simplify the planning process (and linked to permitted development rights) significant information can still often be required as part of the prior approval process. We can prepare the required information, coordinating with other relevant specialists (e.g. highways / noise consultants) as necessary.
- Certificates of Lawfulness:
We have significant experience or preparing Certificates of Lawful Existing Use and Development (CLEUD) and Certificates of Lawfulness of Proposed Use and Development (CLOPUD).
- s.73 and s.73A applications:
Such processes either allow for development approved under an earlier application (s.73) or retrospective applications for development carried out without planning permission or in breach of a condition (s.73A).
- s.96A non-material amendments:
The effect of applications made under this procedure is to alter the existing planning permission (rather than issue a new permission) so that it would only remain in its amended form.
Stakeholder Engagement
Planning and politics are heavily intwined, and careful steps are usually required to address local concerns and, ultimately, to achieve the right outcome for your project. We have wide experience of stakeholder engagement, including our involvement with various high-profile projects.
Working closely with a public relations specialist, we can help coordinate and manage the engagement process, including meetings with local community groups, parish councils, local politicians, and statutory consultees. These events can be held either virtually or face-to-face and summarised within a Statement of Community Involvement
Appeals
On occasion, and despite the best efforts to secure planning permission from the local authority, it might be necessary to lodge an appeal to the Secretary of State.
If you do need to appeal, we can manage the whole process, as well as advising on tactics and strategy. We can lodge the appeal, prepare the appeal statement, proofs of evidence and liaise with the local authority to agree statements of common ground.
In preparation for a hearing or an inquiry you may need to appoint an advocate. We have direct access to chambers, and good relationships with various well-regarded planning solicitors, barristers and QCs.
Project Management
Many projects require input from a wide range of specialist disciplines: e.g. transport, ecology, flood risk, archaeology, arboriculture, noise, air quality, ground contamination.
The planning consultant, working closely with the client, the architect and other lead designers invariably co-ordinates the team through the plan-making or application process to meet key deadlines.
We have extensive experience of managing projects in this way, often acting as client’s representative, reporting to internal company boards and or other decision-making groups within the client organisation.
