The planning system can be a minefield for even the most experienced of developers. Our specialist planning and environmental team has many years of experience of helping a wide range of public sector, commercial and private clients negotiate their way through the planning maze.
Each member of our specialist team has a detailed understanding of current planning law, policies and Government initiatives. As you would expect, from a firm with our profile, we have fostered close links with other professionals including planning consultants, architects, engineers, surveyors and environmental experts.
The team understand the importance of a timely input into development decisions, not least so that investors have an idea of the development potential of a site and therefore what might be paid for it. Quite often it is worth conducting a development appraisal of a site before buying or bidding for it, and more detailed investigations and the prospect of added value can be explored once the site is acquired with the aim of improving the value of an investment.
As well as advising on the need for and prospects of securing planning permission (including planning appraisal work and advice on site assembly and dealing with other land owners), we also have considerable experience, in both the private and public sectors, of Planning and Highways Agreements, appeals and High Court challenges, enforcement, listed buildings and heritage issues, compulsory purchase, acquisition and urban regeneration, environmental law and impact assessments, local government law and practice, planning committee’s and public probity, and development plan allocations.
In particular, we are also able to advise on ‘due diligence’ issues for banks, lenders and other financial institutions such as the lawfulness of existing and proposed development, the discharge of conditions and compliance with planning and environmental limitations on existing use, and specialist legal advice in relation to potential liability in respect of contaminated land and the regeneration of town centre and ‘brownfield’ sites.