Professionalism and Integrity in Construction
As a property developer, you are keenly aware that one of the riskiest stages on a development project is the Planning Permission stage. Despite the chance of identifying costly issues which could reduce the viability of the site, there is also the potential to enhance the opportunities and increase profitability.
Working collaboratively with a planning permission consultant can enhance the positive potentials and negate the ones that would impact on the viability. Although profitability is your key consideration you also need to be time-efficient as delays at the planning stage can have implications further into the project.
Within the planning system, the challenge is to combine a whole range of variables so that they interact smoothly to allow you to obtain planning permission at the earliest opportunity.
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Although a planning application cannot be guaranteed to succeed, you improve the likelihood by engaging a planning permission consultant to provide the best opportunity for achieving the cost-effective planning permission outcomes.
Keeping within your brief but taking an independent view, they will explore new ideas to develop and tailor the design scheme to meet the requirements of the local area. As they speak the same policy-based language as the local planning officers, they can navigate through the changing rules and regulations to enhance your application and this is crucial if your venture has complex requirements.
Reducing the complications which make the application process so frustrating at times is the biggest benefit, thereby saving time and further expense.
Our planning application service is a step by step approach to obtaining planning permission.
Initially, we clarify your concept and confirm what ultimate success means for you with the development. Having identified what is the minimum requirement for viability, our planning permission consultant will undertake detailed research.
Thoroughness pays off at this stage and makes the later process more likely to be successful. On a broad aspect, we will review the design to make sure it conforms to the overall development plan of the local authority and audit why planning applications have been passed or rejected in the past.
On a narrower aspect, we will review the style of the scheme in comparison to neighbouring properties. Use of appropriate quality materials is a consideration in a conservation area and tree preservation orders can impact on the design of inspiring landscaping plans.
Consultation with neighbours and the local community can be undertaken at any point during the planning application process. It is usually helpful to do it in the early stages as it demonstrates an understanding that developments can impact on various groups of people in the local area. However, it is important to be aware that it can take up time and resources and needs to be factored into your planning application.
Having completed the research, we will analyse the impact of the development on the local community regarding infrastructure. Developers may be asked to make contributions for use for infrastructure in several ways – Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and affordable housing contributions under section 106 agreements (S106).
CIL is a fixed charge that local authorities can charge a developer towards the local facilities and services such as transport and schooling. It is calculated on all the relevant floorspace within a development but is only payable if the local authority has adopted the CIL schedule, which is not the case for all local authorities.
S106 is still a core aspect of planning and one of our experts can negotiate the cost as it is not a fixed charge, but a contribution expected from your development towards infrastructure and affordable housing in the locality.
Having discussed the outcome of the research and analysis, the next step is to draft the planning application ready for the Pre-application meeting with the local planning authority.
A pre-application meeting is a valuable and crucial step in your interaction with the planning system process, even though there is a fee for the pre-planning advice, and it is not legally binding. Meeting with your local planning officer allows the opportunity for an in-depth discussion of your scheme and to understand the thought process behind any restrictions or conditions that would be considered part of the full planning application process.
Engaging and finding common objectives at this early stage is a key element. Local authorities can set conditions or planning obligations on a development, that is initially considered to be unacceptable, to make it more likely to be granted planning permission. However, any conditions should be kept to a minimum and only put in place when they are necessary, relevant, enforceable, precise, and reasonable.
As a developer aware that both CIL and S106 can impact on the viability of the scheme, you will need to make a choice between the quicker process of CIL, if applicable for your area, and the advantages of negotiation of S106 despite the delays that often are experienced.
Creating the right balance between cost and value is the ultimate aim to give the maximum performance for a good return on investment.
Refining further your plans enables your planning permission consultant to include the feedback from the pre-application meeting to create the most applicable options for your development. Although not a complete guarantee of success, this refinement can substantially increase your chances of a successful planning application.
As part of your planning application, our planning permission consultant may suggest that you sign a Planning Performance Agreement (PPA) which will provide a framework for the process of considering planning permission for your development. This creates a flexible structure in which to adapt proposals and deal with issues that are both straightforward and more complex as they arise. There is a substantial charge for a PPA, but it enables the local planning authority to allocate a named individual as a resource to the review of your planning application and gives certainty of an outcome with a specified time frame.
At this step, our planning consultant may need to provide further analysis on certain aspects of the scheme as required by the local planning authority. Delays can easily be encountered, unless you have a PPA in place, as planning committees need to meet to review the additional information. Prompt attention is vital to keep the process flowing smoothly.
If you have followed each of the steps above, your aspiration is to have obtained planning permission on your development.
However, it is not guaranteed and if you wish to appeal against a planning decision, our planning appeal specialist can review the refused application and advise if there are strong grounds to appeal. If appropriate we will undertake the appeal, and the success rate for planning permission London appeals is that one in three get the go-ahead.
Alternatively, we can revise the development strategy, taking on board the planning outcomes and prepare a different scheme to submit as a new planning application.
Success is obtaining planning permission that maintains a strong viability for your scheme and increased profitability without undue planning conditions that need to be discharged during the build.
The best planning application companies are focused on this outcome with a key emphasis not only on profitability but also the timeline of the process. We are keen to add ‘best value’ in terms of cost and time to the planning process on your project to successfully meet your broader investment needs.
