SITE APPRAISALS
We offer honest and realistic advice on the development prospects of a specified site. A report can be produced which considers National and Local planning policy, site history, related decisions and case law where relevant, and offers advice on problem areas. A clear recommendation will be made, based on risk assessment will enable clients to decide whether to go ahead, re negotiate or abandon the potential purchase. Potential pitfalls can be anticipated and weighed in the balance at the outset. Where agreed, pre-application consultation with the LPA will be undertaken.
APPEALS
If you have been refused planning permission, there is a right of appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.
We rarely recommend prosecuting an Appeal without first considering the Refusal Reasons and exploring the prospects of overcoming these through negotiation and submission of a revised application.
However, sometimes there is an in-principle objection and appeal is the only way forward.
There are three different appeal routes:
Written representation;
Hearings; or
Inquiries.
We can assist in advising on the most appropriate appeal route, and as Chartered Town Planners have direct access to Barristers, without needing an intermediary legal representative
PLANNING APPLICATIONS
We have considerable experience in dealing with: Changes of Use, Certificates of Lawfulness (CLEUD and CLOPUD), Prior Approval, retrospective applications, outline planning, full planning, PiP and more. Whilst the different types of planning applications vary considerably, the process of preparing a quality planning application remains the same. The key steps are outlined below: We work across the following sectors:
Residential – small to medium size developments
Commercial – from changes of use, to office and industrial units, town centre and retail, commercial and leisure;
Mixed Use- Residential, Office and Retail
Householder – from annexes, HMOs and small residential redevelopments.
Achieving planning permission necessitates using a process which has become increasingly complex and arduous. Professional experience, up to date knowledge, and a commitment to succeed wherever possible, are applied on behalf of clients. Projects where planning permission has been achieved vary in scale and type but require the same careful attention to detail, persistence and presentation and negotiating skills.
PLANNING STATEMENTS
We prepare Planning Statements in support of Planning Applications where required. Planning Statements are technical in nature and specifically address how the proposal complies with the Local Authorities’ Development Plan.
A supporting planning statement provides detailed information on the site background and history, the application proposals, the planning policy context of the application and a full consideration of all planning issues, giving clients the best chance of gaining approval for their proposals.
ENFORCEMENT WORK AND ADVICE
If you have been threatened with enforcement action it is vital that you do not ignore it. Once an enforcement notice takes effect, your options become limited. Remember that enforcement action is discretionary and, in our experience, early intervention and negotiation is generally preferable to taking the case to appeal. There are a range of enforcement powers available to Local Authorities. These include Enforcement Notices, Breach of Condition Notices, and Stop Notices. The correct planning strategy will depend on the actions already taken by the Council.