Services

Many development proposals or changes of use of land and buildings require consent or planning permission from the Local Planning Authority. We can guide your proposal through the planning system, providing you with professional and specialist knowledge, and represent your proposal to the Local Planning Authority in the best possible light using our knowledge and experience; ultimately trying to help you to secure planning permission. We can complete the necessary required documentation and prepare the supporting planning statements to represent your case where required.

Additionally, if you have submitted an application without professional representation and are subsequently experiencing difficulties during the application process, then you can appoint us to act on your behalf to review the issues and to try to resolve any problems experienced.

Not all planning applications are successful. In the first instance we can review the decision of the Council and advice you of the most appropriate course of action to take; this could mean appealing the decision to the Planning Inspectorate. We can advise you of the most appropriate appeal procedure to follow, and professionally represent you though the written representations, hearing or Public Inquiry appeal procedures. We will professionally and expertly represent your proposal, providing you with robust grounds for appeal and statement of case. Professional representation can provide you with the best chance of a successful outcome.

Many Local Authorities offer a pre-application service (often charged); on your behalf we can engage directly with the Local Planning Authority by presenting your development proposals with a view of securing a positive response from the Council prior to the submission of a formal planning application.

If you have a specific development proposal in mind, or are exploring the development potential of a site, then we can provide you with expert advice on the feasibility of the development and advise you of the potential of the development succeeding, or ways of unlocking the potential of the site.

We can promote your land with the Council for future development through the Development Plan preparation process. The Council needs to continually identify sites for future development to ensure that there is adequate land supply to accommodate future housing and employment needs of the Council.

We can also help you contribute to the Development Plan process by making representations to Council during the consultation process.

Carrying out development without the necessary planning consent or carrying out a development contrary to an approval can lead to the Council investigating a potential breach of planning control. This could lead to enforcement action being taken against you. In such instances, we can advise you of the most appropriate action to take, engage with the Council, explore possible solutions, and act on your behalf in any resulting Enforcement Appeal if a mutual resolution has not been met.

Some developments and uses are lawful and as such do not require planning permission. However, there may be circumstances, or for legal reasons, where a formal opinion from the Council on a proposed use or development is required. We can assist you in submitting the necessary information to the Council and demonstrate to them that a proposed development or use would be lawful.

There are also circumstances where a use or development may be lawful because of the amount of time which has elapsed since the use was started or development completed. We can help you prepare the necessary documentation to convince the Council that the existing development or use is lawful.

Receiving notification from the Council that a development is proposed in close proximity to you can often cause concern and distress. On your behalf, we can make a representation in response to the application, focussing on the relevant planning arguments and using our knowledge of the planning system to try to convince the Local Planning Authority that a development should not be approved. We can also represent you at any planning committee, addressing members with your concerns, where the procedure permits.