Need a planning consultant in Kent?

Planning Consultant Kent

This beautiful county in south east England is renowned for the landscapes, orchards, and hop gardens that have earned it the title `The Garden of England’. Kent also boasts two Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty designations: the North Downs and the High Weald.

While this backdrop might imply difficulties when applying for planning permission, Kent County Council wants to see strategic development alongside protecting the environment.

If you have development proposals that may present challenges in achieving planning consent, you may consider obtaining professional advice from a planning consultancy. Town planning consultants’ knowledge of ever-changing planning legislation could unlock the route to success for your scheme.

This article explains how planning consultants with many years experience can make problematic development proposals become reality, before looking at examples of eye-catching projects managed by planning consultants in Kent.

Do I Need Professional Advice?

While a straightforward project such as a basic extension might suit the services of an architect, a more complex scheme could benefit from the in-depth knowledge of the planning process that planning consultants can provide. As well as being aware of national planning policies, they will be familiar with the local authority approach to development proposals and can represent a developer in negotiations with the planning officer.

Planning consultants can provide professional advice about a project that could simplify the planning process, potentially saving time and costs. If you are considering a challenging development scheme in this south east corner of the UK, a planning consultant in Kent could help its journey through the planning system.

Planning Advice

The wide range of services typically provided by planning consultants include:

• Feasibility studies to assess development opportunities.
• Planning application submissions.
• Negotiations with the local authority planning officer.
• Listed building expertise.
• Green Belt planning applications.
• Building regulations advice.
• Change of use applications.
• Prior approval.
• Permitted development rights advice.
• Planning appeals.

Kent and Development Proposals

Kent’s proximity to London and the continent creates immense pressure for more housing and employment development. The Kent County Council 2024 development plan aims to foster sustainable growth while protecting the county’s rich natural beauty and coastline. Its main aims include providing more affordable housing, boosting the local economy, and improving infrastructure.

The council plans to build around 53,000 new homes between 2024 and 2035 and to balance growth with environmental preservation, it is focusing on green infrastructure with carbon reduction in new projects. It also aims to maintain public access to natural areas by promoting green spaces and managing tourism to protect the coastline. There is also pressure to preserve green belt land, making careful planning crucial for future development.

Key areas earmarked for development include Ashford and Dartford, where new housing and commercial projects are planned. A mix of residential, business, and leisure developments will support local communities and promote employment.

Two major development schemes in the pipeline for Kent include the Ebbsfleet Garden City, a project that will create a large new community, and the Otterpool Park near Folkestone, where thousands of homes will be built with sustainable living credentials.

Inspiring Schemes by Five Planning Consultancy Firms in Kent

SJM Planning

Undertaking projects in Kent, Sussex, and London, this firm’s work includes new homes, office-to-residential conversions, rural developments, and change-of-use projects. Over half of their work relates to extensions, and they have a 95% success rate for achieving planning permission. SJM Planning provides working drawings, building control plans, and development management.

Here the brief was to extend an end of terrace property to provide a loft conversion, a larger single-storey rear extension, and a single-bedroom basement flat beneath the length of the property. The scheme involved extensive negotiations with the local authority planning officer due to concerns over the basement flat construction before consent was approved.

EK Planning

This Kent-based family business can provide planning advice on schemes from the concept stage to completion. Typical projects include loft conversions, extensions, new build schemes, and commercial projects. EK Planning provides a full range of architectural services, offering master planning, architectural design, and project management.

This scheme created a luxury master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom and dressing room area. It involved the creation of a new gallery stairwell benefitting from natural light from the feature glazing. Consultants advised clients to incorporate small, pitched roof dormers on each side of the new glazing, and to raise the rear gable with more glazing, adding roof light windows to light the ensuite bathroom.

Bloomfields Chartered Town Planners

An independent chartered town planning firm, Bloomfields provides planning and development consultancy services for projects ranging from house extensions to mixed-use developments. Clients include individuals, companies, local authorities, and other public bodies. Bloomfields’ areas of expertise include housing, agriculture and forestry, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty designations, commercial, equestrian, green belt, and permitted development opportunities.

The in-house architecture team designed this four-bedroom conversion of a redundant equestrian barn in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Set over three levels, the scheme features a double-height open-plan kitchen and living area, three bedrooms, and a vaulted master suite.

CB Planning Agent

A small Kent-based consultancy, CB Planning Agent provides a full range of planning services to the domestic building market, from initial concepts to architectural designs, and works on small extensions and new builds. Once planning permission is achieved, CB Planning Agent can carry out building regulations applications, building regulation drawings and structural reports.

Penshurst Planning

This town planning and development consultancy provides planning advice to developers, landowners, small businesses, and private individuals. It works on complex development projects, domestic and commercial extensions, operating in the residential, commercial, equestrian and agricultural land use sectors. Penshurst Planning deals with planning applications, appraisals, appeals and development plan policy issues mainly in London and the south east. It is also experienced in providing planning advice for Green Belt development and conservation areas including listed building and conservation area consent applications.

Find a Planning Consultancy in the South East

The first step is to carry out research to identify a firm that’s carried out similar projects to yours, and if you can view a completed scheme, it may help your decision process.

The wide range of planning consultancies in Kent cater to requirements from assessing development opportunities to change of use applications, rural planning, barn conversions, and complicated planning issues.

Engaging a planning consultancy does not guarantee success with a planning application, but it should mean that you receive professional advice, giving your development proposals the best chance of a successful journey through the planning system.