Rural Planning

Planning and development control can materially affect plans to relocate or expand your business, or convert or extend your existing property, residential or commercial. Effective planning advice demands up-to-date knowledge of national, regional, county and local planning policies and strategies, and the ability to influence them when they are reviewed. We can help you identify development potential, advise on the submission of your application and negotiate with your planning authority. Additional services include;

Planning Support and Design and Access Statements

The design and access statement will differ widely for each building; however there will be common factors that will need to be addressed largely imposed by the Town and Country Planning obligations. In achieving a successful application and design it is important that you can demonstrate to the planning authority that attention has been paid to;

• Site suitability
• The relationship with other buildings and other industry
• Access provisions and traffic generation
• Impact of the development on the landscape and sensitive use of materials
• Environmental and waste management nuisances
• Economic sustainability and growth
• Social sustainability

Appraisal Reports for Agricultural Dwellings

We offer a service to assist you in obtaining planning permission for agricultural dwellings. Our service involves site meetings, collation of information and the preparation of detailed business appraisals which include an assessment of the business against the planning criteria for agricultural dwellings, together with preparation of planning applications and design of dwellings. With regard to agricultural dwellings, the main planning criteria which businesses must satisfy are the functional test and the financial test.

Diversification Planning

Our advice to anyone considering a diversification venture is to research the proposal in detail, plan carefully and, perhaps most importantly, develop a project which will provide continued interest in the future. Our services include:

• Provide initial advice to anyone seeking an alternative income from their property and to assess the overall feasibility of a project
• Develop business plans and five year financial forecast for the project to assess viability
• Liaise with your bank or financier to support your requirement for funding
• Apply for grant funding for diversification projects
• Undertake any necessary planning and design work
• Assist with marketing and promotion of the project
• Support and advise through the development of the new enterprise