The firm is primarily involved with larger scale commercial, retail and residential development opportunities.

Initial Advice

The firm provides planning advice on the prospects of success and on the best strategy to be adopted in securing a satisfactory planning permission. The firm will provide a comprehensive appraisal so that client exposure to uncertainties and risk is reduced.

Planning Applications

The firm can help identify the most appropriate experts eg. transport consultants, architects, hydrologists, archaeologists and landscape consultants to create an effective team and manage them to provide full justification for proposals. We will challenge the content of other team member’s reports and assessments to ensure they are robust and comprehensive. The firm can also coordinate the production of Environmental Statements.

The firm is experienced in producing Retail Assessments, Economic Appraisals, Employment Land Availability Reports and Design Statements to support the submission of planning applications. The firm prides itself in not adopting a standard model to such assessments, concentrating on how the client’s aspirations can be accommodated in the context of prevailing policy and having regard to local issues.

The firm uses all possible appropriate opportunities to influence the consideration of submitted planning applications. This includes through meetings with officers and briefing of members, local groups (including Town Councils), the media and other relevant consultees.

It has experience of producing effective text for brochures, copy for press releases and exhibition material.

The importance of ensuring adequate briefing of Planning Committee and other relevant members is fully understood. The firm is adept at undertaking this work or liaising with other advisors. Martin Robeson and other senior fee-earners have considerable experience of speaking at public and Council meetings.

Where an appeal is necessary, the firm is experienced in managing the process with the Planning Inspectorate, can often negotiate inquiry slots outside the normal process and will coordinate and manage the necessary team. Appropriate advocates can be identified and Counsel effectively instructed and briefed to appear at inquiries. For more straightforward cases, suitable fee-earners can act as advocates.

The firm provides witnesses for planning inquiries. It ensures that evidence fully addresses all potential issues. Witnesses are experienced in getting the most out of their evidence in chief and maintaining and developing their position in cross-examination. Martin Robeson has appeared at well over 100 inquiries. He has also acted as an appointed Expert to the High Court and Court of Sessions (in Scotland) on various planning and retail disputes and has participated in related conciliation sessions.

Local Development Documents

Either as part of progressing live development projects or in protecting or advancing land owners’ or operators’ positions, comprehensive representations are made to emerging Local Development Frameworks and related Documents. A comprehensive and holistic approach is adopted to afford the best prospect of securing change to meet clients’ requirements.

The firm will often seek to influence the content of Documents before they are subject to public consultation. As necessary, this can involve briefing relevant members and working closely with officers.