Castle College, Chilwell Campus, Nottingham

Town Planning Services

The practice provides a wide range of town planning and development services including: Research; Development Appraisals and Feasibility Studies; Site Finding and Site Appraisals; Monitoring emerging Development Plans and making representations at key stages; Regular liaison with local authorities; Planning Applications; Drafting, or providing spatial planning input to Environmental Impact Assessments; Drafting, or providing spatial planning input to Design and Access Statements; Planning Appeals; Providing Expert Witnesses and Evidence concerning town planning; and Nominating, assembling and leading multi-disciplinary teams during the planning phase of a development.

The planning and development process can involve many professional disciplines and, generally speaking, the larger and more complex the development proposal, the more disciplines need to be involved in order to achieve a successful outcome. Local planning authorities in the UK now publish increasingly long lists of ‘validation documents’ – that is, technical material required to be submitted with a planning application before it can be registered and determined. At the same time, many planning applications now need to be supported by statutory Environmental Impact Assessments.

At Antony Aspbury Associates Limited, we believe in concentrating on what we can do (as listed above) and doing it well. That is why we are a single discipline practice.

We appreciate that some of our competitors have gone down the multi-disciplinary service delivery route, which may well have been right for them and their clients. But we take the view that we should stick firmly to what we do best – town planning. Along with maintaining our corporate independence as a practice, keeping that specialist focus has been a conscious decision by the Directors throughout our history.

We consider that this gives our clients certainty and flexibility in putting together their professional teams. Certainty in that they know exactly what service they are getting from us; and flexibility, in that they are free themselves to choose the other specialist disciplines they need and the professionals they wish to instruct, so that they can assemble the right team for the task in hand, without carrying unnecessary overheads. Moreover, putting together the right team is more than finding professional practices with the requisite experience and expertise. Thus, because this is very much a people business, it is vital that the individual personalities involved can relate to and communicate with each other easily in an atmosphere of complete mutual confidence and trust.

Over the years we have built up a working relationship with many professionals in complementary disciplines concerned with the planning and development process. Thus, whilst, we are always happy to work with professionals nominated by the client and/or already instructed, we can also recommend professionals from amongst those with whom we have worked previously, who we think have both the appropriate level of technical competence and possess a compatible professional culture and approach. However, at the end of the day, it will be for the client to decide who meets their needs best and to appoint the relevant professionals. (See below – ‘Nominating, assembling and leading multi disciplinary teams’).

Research

Antony Aspbury Associates Limited has recently undertaken a research exercise on behalf of Clients Larkfleet Homes Limited/HPC Homes Limited in connection with a proposed Sustainable Urban Extension at Grantham in Lincolnshire. This has involved establishing the demographic and socio-economic profile of the area, identifying local facilities, including: schools and other educational establishments, primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare units, community and sports centres; playing fields; and local bus services. We also undertake research into case law and appeal decisions relating to particular types of development, into the planning history of nominated sites and land use surveys of areas.

Development Appraisals/Feasibility

The Practice has recently carried out a number of site/development appraisals in relation to sites in the Midlands on behalf of Barratt Developments Plc. This has involved identifying acquisition, planning and development costs, assessing sales revenues etc. and examining development constraints and thus determining the viability and feasibility of the development of each site.

Site Location/Analysis

The Practice regularly undertakes site finding exercises in target areas for clients such as housebuilders, our supermarket client, Tesco Express Limited, and other specialist developers. This involves: an initial map-based appraisal or reconnaissance/visual search of the target area; short-listing of candidate sites; providing a town planning appraisal; establishing land ownership; investigating infrastructure; making initial approaches to landowners and in some cases negotiating the acquisition of the site on behalf of a client.

Monitoring emerging development plans, making representations thereon, etc.

This is one of the key areas of our work. Spatial planning in the UK is ‘plan-led’, that is it is based on a system of ‘development plans’ (regional spatial strategies and local development frameworks) prepared through a structured statutory process that includes formal public participation. Antony Aspbury Associates Limited undertakes both general monitoring of all emerging development plans as part of its core information and intelligence gathering activities and also targets specific development plans on behalf of land-owners/developers with interests in the areas covered by those plans. We then make representations, as necessary, throughout the statutory plan-making process in relation to particular topics, policies or sites. In due course we will appear at and represent our client at the examination stage of the RSS/LDF.

Local Authority Liaison

In the course of its day-to-day work the Practice is dealing constantly with local, regional and national government. We see this as an opportunity in itself and, accordingly, we actively promote formal and informal liaison, networking and interaction with local authorities, including local planning authorities, regional planning bodies and Government Offices, so as: to improve our background knowledge of the public sector and what is happening nationally and locally, to encourage better mutual understanding between the public and private sector; and, establish personal links and contacts.

Planning Applications

The drawing up, submission and administration through to determination of planning applications is, along with participation in the preparation of development plans and planning appeals, the bread-and-butter work of the Practice. Utilising our specialist expertise in and understanding of the development control process, we identify the main planning issues and considerations for a case, advise clients on how best to formulate and present planning applications, co-ordinate the input of other members of the professional team and act as the nominated agent for the planning application stage. This role involves, amongst other things: pre-application consultation and negotiation with Local Planning Authorities and other stakeholders; planning and participating in community engagement and development coding exercises; drafting or providing planning input to Environmental Impact Assessments and Design and Access Statements (see below); drafting town planning statements in support of the Application; drawing up heads of terms for planning obligations; drafting planning conditions; agreeing the Planning Obligation and planning conditions with local planning authorities and securing the discharge of the those obligations/conditions; and, making presentations to/addressing Planning Committees.

Drafting or providing the spatial planning input to Environmental Impact Assessments

We obtain screening and/or scoping opinions from the relevant authorities under the Environmental Impact Regulations. We can then organise a professional team and co-ordinate its members in drawing up an Environmental Impact Assessment, or, where such an Assessment is being prepared by another professional, provide the town planning input thereto.

Drafting or providing the spatial planning input to Design and Access Statements

Since the coming into force of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, most planning applications must be accompanied by a Design and Access Statement. We can and do draft these Statements in the their entirety, but where there is a significant design element, or design is especially important, we would look for the design professional (e.g. the architect) to lead in the preparation of the Statement, whilst we provide the spatial planning input.

Planning Appeals

Together with participation in the development plan preparation process and planning applications, this is one of the three major areas of our professional work. The Planning Acts confer on applicants aggrieved by a decision on a planning application (either because it has been refused or because unduly onerous conditions have been imposed on a grant of planning permission) the right of appeal to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. Moreover, the Secretary of State can ‘call in’ certain planning applications and determine them themselves. Planning Appeals and Call In cases are dealt with by a government agency known as the Planning Inspectorate, which administers the case and appoints an independent Inspector to deal with the appeal. That Inspector may have the power delegated to them to determine the appeal, or may conduct a planning inquiry and report on the proceedings and provide a recommendation to the Secretary of State in those cases where the decision is reserved to the latter. Appeals may be dealt with by one of three methods: written representations; hearings and public local inquiries. Antony Aspbury Associates Limited represents clients in all these types of planning appeal. Our services include: drafting the grounds of appeal; lodging the appeal and administering it thereafter, including co-ordinating input from other professionals (except with certain major cases heard by public local inquiry, where an ‘instructing solicitor’ may fulfil the administrative and coordination role); submitting town planning statements and proofs of evidence; conducting hearings and appearing as witnesses at public local inquiries.

Expert Witnesses/Evidence

As noted in the ‘Planning Appeals’ Section, we provide experienced expert town planning witnesses for planning appeals/call ins heard by public local inquiries. However, we can also provide such witnesses for civil litigation cases.

Nominating, assembling and leading multi disciplinary teams

Antony Aspbury Associates Limited works with a wide range of professionals working in disciplines connected with the planning, design, development and construction sectors, including: architects; surveyors; engineers (civil and structural-, mechanical and electrical-; acoustic-, highways and traffic-; drainage- etc.); quantity surveyors and construction cost consultants; landscape architects; archaeologist and historic buildings experts, ecologists, photographers, model makers etc.. We are able to advise on the need for other professionals to support development plan proposals, preparation of Environmental Impact Assessments and the submission of planning applications and appeals. We can then act as ‘project managers’ for Planning Applications and/or Appeal stages of a commission only, co-ordinating the work of these professionals.