All developers and other clients must realise that planning applications must now have regard to a much wider set of issues and policies than in the past, and it is thus our firm advice that all schemes should have an integrated planning and sustainability approach…with a high level of advice occurring from scheme inception stage onwards

ENABLING PROJECTS provides both PLANNING CONSULTANCY and SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT RELATED services to allow for this integrated approach. We do hope that you will take time to see these links.

We do hope that you have read the preceding sections of this part of the website on SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT and the SPATIAL PLANNING SYSTEM.

In short, we see the NEW PLANNING REQUIREMENTS FOR MOST PLANNING APPLICATIONS AS BEING :

• Virtually all development schemes must now have a DESIGN & ACCESS STATEMENT.  

• The PLANNING STATEMENT should refer to the pertinent policy and give a reasoned justification for all aspects of the project, not just design and access issues alone.

• Many development schemes will require a SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL and/or a SUSTAINABILITY CHECKLIST. This might involve an ECO-HOMES ASSESSMENT for residential schemes or a BREEAM study for commercial projects.

• ENERGY ASSESSMENTS, CO2 EMISSION ASSESSMENTS and RENEWABLE ENERGY PROPOSALS are all becoming standard in planning applications. CARBON NEUTRAL or CARBON LOW developments will be an increasing requirement of even standard housing and commercial developments.

• GREEN TRAVEL PLANS within planning applications are also a fast growing trend.

Please note that the above is in addition to all the architectural, planning and other documentation that would normally be provided to support and justify a development proposal.

Yes, all the above will form part of a typical planning submission in the future!! We advise that all developer clients should ‘stay ahead of the game’ by being fully aware of the changes to the planning system and by integrating these into their schemes and planning application programmes. Deliverability is the key, and this depends on a coherent, robust and comprehensive approach to dealing with the new planning system….

A planning and sustainability led approach to schemes is the best way forward for all involved in the planning and development process. For more on this please see PLANNING CONSULTANCY and SUSTAINABILITY SERVICES. You can also see the PROJECT TYPES that we work on and our TRACK RECORD.