At the heart of our business is the submission of a planning application. A planning application is often systematic and, frustratingly, usually an art. Theoretically, it is a standard procedure through the Planning Portal.
But it rarely is. Every planning authority and planning application is always different. The people, and the systems they use, vary. Sometimes, they work strictly to their checklists and will often demand expensive and time-consuming documents.

For example, the Design and Access Statement (often a statutory requirement) is the beating heart of your proposal.

Easily produced quickly and submitted, we have seen applications by others fail because the ‘D&A’ hasn’t communicated the proposal in either interesting or technically correct or fair terms.

Planning Officers and other specialists – including third parties – scrutinise every word and number. Every morsel is chewed over, and the devil is looked for in the detail. It must be as correct and robust as possible at the time of submission; it’s time and money well spent.

A Planning Officer once confided: that was the best D&A she had read and enjoyed that month because she had had to read so many D&As written to a dull formula without balance or depth.

Our line of business is all about listening and trying to innovate and resolve.

Some time ago, I met a leading planning witness who confided that he made a friend when he met a Planning Officer. I can think of a planning barrister who remarked that the relationship with the Council sets the tone – for the whole life of the application to the planning committee to the Planning Inquiry.

To get the best possible outcomes, avoid foreseeable delays and minimise unnecessary costs, you need an excellent D&A. You also need someone keen and in regular contact with the planning officer and “consultees”, reacting quickly to any issues arising and ensuring your application has a fair hearing without over-playing your hand and ending up at the bottom of the pile.