Planning Made Simple

Most development of land and buildings, including changing its use from one thing to another requires planning permission. The aim of the planning system is to ensure that the right development happens in the right place at the right time, to benefit communities and the economy.

However, the planning system is very complex, with many layers to unravel and no two applications are determined in the same manner – i.e. there is not a simple rule book to follow. Our role is to help guide you through the planning system for your proposal.

Decisions are taken based on a site’s own individual merits and can vary dependent upon its location within the country, the political structure of the council/planning authority, the ingrained views and experiences of the deciding planning officer, the amount and type of information produced to support the application, the relationships between the planning authority and its statutory consultees (e.g. Highways Authority, Parish Councils, Environment Agency etc), any site history or precedent within the area, the decision making structure of the authority, the relevant policies under which the decision is assessed, the status of those policies, any local guidance that has been produced, whether the site has any constraints or opportunities and many other material factors.

Navigating the way through these complexities can be a very difficult, frustrating and occasionally futile process and requires a deep level of understanding, pragmatism and negotiation to give your proposal the best chance of approval. This is why many people choose to engage the services of a planning consultant to manage the process.

We will use our skills, experience and networks to simplify the complexities of each individual proposal, presenting the best possible case for an authority to consider in their decision-making process. We have worked within the system and do not now consider ourselves to be ‘on the other side’. Rather, we have deep respect and understanding of how the planners think and the processes that they have to go through in reaching the decision. We aim to present a proposal that demonstrates to the authority that the benefits will outweigh any negatives, providing thorough consideration and analysis of the relevant policies to help lead them to the conclusion that the proposal fully represents sustainable development.

On your behalf we will submit a detailed, high-quality application that will give the decision makers confidence that the proposal has been thoroughly assessed in terms of the site’s individual merits with any perceived concerns fully addressed. Whilst we can never guarantee that an authority will approve your proposal, we can assure you that we will have given it the very best chance possible and will support and guide you from start to finish.

The planning process, including the timings of decisions is also complex and varies according to the circumstances. Whilst most decisions are targeted to be met within 8 weeks of validation, this overruns in the majority of cases as planning authorities are all facing major resource issues i.e. staff shortages. To help speed up the process we endeavour to ensure that a full, detailed submission is presented from the outset, as often authorities no longer allow major negotiations or discussions during the application process. We also keep on top of the process on a regular basis, checking for updates and providing additional information when requested and offering alternative solutions in the event of any concerns being raised by the authority or any third party. We respectfully assist the planning officers to help them reach a timely decision.

Whilst we appreciate that the planning system has become much more complicated in recent years, we are always happy to explain any aspect of the process to our clients to ensure that they are fully involved and understand each stage of the process. Please feel free to contact us to chat through any queries/questions. There are no silly questions in planning!