Planning assessments

A Simple Introduction from Our Experience

The most successful development projects do not begin with a set of drawings; they begin with a robust strategy. Before committing to significant expenditure on architectural design and formal application fees, it is vital to have a clear, impartial, and expert view on your project's feasibility. Is the principle of development likely to be accepted? What are the hidden constraints? What is the optimal path to securing consent?

This is the purpose of our Planning Assessment service. It is our bespoke, in-house due diligence report, designed to provide you with clarity and confidence while mitigating risk. While a council's pre-application advice service offers a view from a regulatory perspective, our Planning Assessment is conducted entirely from your point of view, focused on identifying the challenges, maximising your site's potential, and defining the most effective strategy for success.

The Two Paths to Strategic Clarity

Our experience has shown that clients typically approach us with one of two core questions. We have tailored our Planning Assessment service to provide comprehensive answers for both scenarios.

1. Site-Led Assessment: "I have a property. What is its true potential?"

This assessment is for landowners or property owners who believe their site has untapped potential but need an expert opinion on the viable options. Our detailed report will methodically answer the following key questions:

• What are the viable development options? We analyse the site and its context to identify a range of potential development avenues, from constructing new housing or converting a building to commercial uses or tourist accommodation.

• What is the likelihood of success for each option? We conduct a thorough review of all relevant national and local planning policies, assessing how they would apply to each potential scheme. We identify the site's key development constraints (such as flood risk, protected trees, or heritage status) and opportunities (such as existing poor-quality buildings suitable for replacement).

• Which option represents the optimal strategy? Based on our policy analysis and understanding of the local context, we provide a clear recommendation on the most sensible and feasible development option, considering the likely costs and complexities of the planning process.

• What is the roadmap to securing permission? We will outline the specific type of planning application required, provide a checklist of the drawings and specialist reports needed (such as Flood Risk Assessments or Heritage Impact Assessments), and give you a clear estimate of the total application costs involved.

2. Project-Led Assessment: "I have a specific project. Is this site suitable?"

This assessment is for clients who have a clear vision for a development and have identified a potential site. Our report provides the critical analysis needed to decide whether to proceed.

• What is the likelihood of your proposal being approved? We undertake a detailed appraisal of your specific project against all relevant planning policies, providing a frank and honest assessment of its chances of success on that particular site.

• What is the required application strategy and what are the costs? We will confirm the exact type of planning application you need to submit and provide a comprehensive list of all the supporting documents, drawings, and reports that the council will demand, along with an estimate of the costs.

• If the site is unsuitable, what are the alternatives? If our analysis concludes that the proposal is unlikely to succeed, we don’t just deliver bad news. We provide constructive, strategic advice. This can include identifying alternative types of locations or areas where your project would be more likely to find policy support.

• Are there alternative uses for the site that would be more viable? We can also suggest alternative development schemes for the current site that would stand a much better chance of approval, prioritising options that align as closely as possible with your original ambitions.

Our Concluding Advice: Invest in Strategy Before Design

In the high-stakes London property market, a failed planning application represents a significant loss of time and money. A London Extend Planning Assessment is a modest but powerful investment in strategy and knowledge. It provides the solid foundation upon which a successful design can be developed and a compelling application can be built.

If you are at the beginning of your development journey and require clarity on the path forward, please get in touch. Our initial consultation is always complimentary.