Planning - GFW

Introduction.

GFW’s team of Chartered Town Planners (RTPI) provide professional, pragmatic and commercially astute advice to ensure that our clients can successfully navigate the complexities of the planning system.

We offer a range of planning services which, through the team’s extensive experience, is tailored to meet our clients’ needs. Our Planning team work in close collaboration with our in-house Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and RIBA Architects to make sure that the planning strategies we formulate are both achievable and deliver the best possible result.

Planning Appraisals and Pre-Application Advice.

Our Planning and Development team regularly provides experts advice apprising land for future development.

Our team utilise their wealth of experience alongside an intimate knowledge of the planning system, considering all routes to development, to recommend the most appropriate strategy to our clients, which in some instances is not simply the submission of an application.
Planning Applications.

Sectors include:
- Residential
- Commercial
- Agriculture/Equestrian/Diversification
- Energy/Renewables
- Leisure/Tourism
- Education
- Minerals and Waste
Permitted Development Rights.

The starting point in considering any form of development is often determining whether planning permission is required.

Would the proposal benefit from permitted development (PD) rights? Permitted development rights are available nationally and seek to streamline the planning process for particular types of development. Whether you wish to construct a new agricultural building or slurry store, convert existing agricultural or commercial buildings to residential use, extend your property or diversify your business, permitted development rights could be utilised to achieve this. GFW’s in depth understanding of the conditions and limitations of PD rights allow us to achieve successful outcomes for our clients.

PD’s are commonly achieved via a Prior Notification form of application to local planning authorities, and can provide a quicker and more efficient way of gaining approvals.
Lawful Development Certificates.

Our team can advise as to when it may be appropriate to obtain a lawful development certificate.

Lawful Development Certificates are useful in confirming that development work which has taken place is lawful within a planning context, or can be used to establish whether future development can be undertaken without benefit of planning permission. Our team’s in depth knowledge of the planning system means we are best placed to advise if a Certificate may be appropriate, or whether another form of consent should be obtained.
Appeals/Expert Witness.

Our team of experienced RTPI professionals offer robust, timely, independent evidence and opinion.

This may involve providing written representations, attending hearings or inquiries, or providing evidence for the court of land tribunal.

Our expansive network of professional and technical contacts ensure we have access to legal support and consultancy, where this is required.
Enforcement.

Planning enforcement typically occurs where development has been carried our without planning permission, or where works have been carried out without complying with a granted permission.

Enforcement is a formal process available to local authorities, if they consider the alleged breach must be remedied. We see a significant number of cases arise in this area, when people incorrectly determine that works do not require planning permission. Our experience in this field allows us to support clients to resolve enforcement disputes, whether that involves responding to planning contravention notices, submitting retrospective applications or appealing and overturning enforcement notices.

Enforcement notices are subject to strict timeframes, typically 28 days, so it is important to act quickly and seek professional advice as soon as possible.
Land Promotion.

GFW pride ourselves on being able to formulate and pursue the most appropriate planning strategies to promote land, for the purposes of development, within Local and Neighbourhood Plans.
Our demonstrable expertise, knowledge and access to a multi-disciplinary team enables us to offer a bespoke and holistic promotion service which maximises the development potential and value of sites. We are able to undertake the following activities in order to promote sites:
- Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessments (SHLAA)
- Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessments (HELAA)
- ‘Call for Sites’ representation
- Green Belt Reviews and Appraisals
- Local Plan representations at all stages
- Attendance at Examinations in Public (EiP)
- Employment Land Reviews
Heritage and Conservation.

Undertaking works to Listed Buildings or development in a Conservation Area often requires specialist input.

Listed Building Consent is required for any works, such as internal alterations, repairs, demolition or extensions, that may affect the fabric of a listed structure. They are many instances where planning permission is not required but listed building consent is necessary to carry out works on a structure.

Understanding the significance of a structure, building or landscape is the key to successful conservation. The combined knowledge and expertise of our in-house Conservation Architects, Building Surveyors and Chartered Town Planners, added to our network of specialist consultants, enables us to support clients as they navigate the complex legal and regulatory frameworks that govern these structures, in turn achieving successful outcomes which avoid legal consequences.
Masterplanning and Urban Design.

Our development team specialise in creating masterplans and high level feasibility studies that lay the groundwork for successful, sustainable developments.

Our team combines in-house expertise in architecture, urban design planning and development surveyors, to deliver innovative solutions. Works involve assessing the viability of a site, complex constraints, optimising land use, place-making and landscape, or creating a long term development strategy based on a deep understanding of regulatory frameworks and market trends to deliver the best possible outcomes.
EIA Development.

Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) often play a key part in major development, which can have significant implications for developers if not understood early in the planning process.

Our team of planning consultants have a detailed understanding of the EIA regulations and can manage the project from EIA screening trough to coordinating the completion of an Environmental Statement, to support applications which are deemed to give rise to significant environmental impacts.
s106 Agreement Negotiation.

Section 106 agreements, often referred to as ‘developer contributions’ or ‘planning obligations’ are legal agreements, between a developer and planning authority, which seek to mitigate the impacts of development.

These agreements are typically entered into to require the developer to provide financial sums to the local authority for a specific purpose (e.g. school places, NHS contributions, provision of affordable housing), restrict specific operations from occurring and/or require specific works to take place.

GFW have significant experience in ensuring that these obligations are proportionate to the development being proposed and, where necessary, are able to draw on the expertise of our Development Surveyors to prepare viability assessments in instances where the contributions requested by a local planning authority would make development unviable.