Planning Permission/Planning Design

We have jointly acted as Agent for well over 700 Planning Applications over the last 30 years. We have failed to secure Planning Permission on just 4 projects.

No one can guarantee that a Planning Approval will ultimately be obtained, but by applying learned design knowledge, working closely with Local Authority Planning Officers, and by paying due regard to Local and National Planning Policy and Guidance, the chances of securing approvals is greatly increased. We always advise if we consider that a proposal does not meet policy or guidelines, so that the applicant can make an informed decision – progressing applications that clearly fail to meet current Planning Criteria is not productive for any of the parties involved.

Having experience of detail design and compliance of Building Regulations, we can ensure that planning designs are ‘workable’ at a very early stage in the design process. This helps negate the possibility of abortive work or costly complications during the later stages. In most cases where we are asked to obtain Planning Consent, (subject to approval) we are asked to develop the proposals in terms of detailing and Building Regulation compliance – knowing that the planning design is workable means we can be highly competitive in terms of our later stage fees.

Our overheads are low, and accordingly our fees are highly competitive. The way in which we fix a fee or agree terms on a planning stage project can vary and depends on the work involved. By researching a particular site on-line and in conjunction with a Client brief/sketch drawing, we can usually identify if any major planning difficulties exists before significant fees are expended.

We have established a good reputation in respect of assisting Clients where an unexpected refusal has been obtained (e.g. where a former consultant fails to secure planning permission). By looking at the Clients needs from a fresh, careful reference to the Planning history and liason with the Council, we can often design an alternative scheme that better meets Local and National Planning Policy and Guidance. In some cases, where we consider the relevant criteria have already been met by a scheme, we will advise accordingly and present a fee proposal to undertake an appeal.