Need a planning consultant in Oxford?

Planning Consultant Oxfordshire

The wealth of beautiful towns and villages in Oxfordshire means that the county is under pressure from both tourism and the demand for more housing. Oxfordshire County Council recognises that the county needs to grow in a way that’s not detrimental to its historic character, and places protections around key areas when it comes to development.

If you have a complex development project in Oxfordshire that faces challenges in securing planning permission, planning consultants may well offer the expertise you need. In this article, we look at how a planning consultant can be an asset to a problematic scheme, before featuring some amazing projects masterminded by five planning consultancies in Oxfordshire.

What can Planning Consultants Offer?

Firstly, planning consultants’ extensive experience of the inner workings of the town planning system will benefit your scheme. They will have local knowledge of local planning authorities’ positions on development matters, along with national planning policy and planning law. Secondly, they can identify potential development opportunities and offer planning advice on the best route to securing planning permission. Thirdly, planning consultants can save time and costs by streamlining the planning application process.

Planning Services offered by Planning Consultants:

• Project assessment.
• Feasibility studies.
• Targeted planning advice.
• Planning applications.
• Negotiations with local planning authorities.
• Listed building expertise.
• Environmental reports.
• Compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Building regulations compliance.
• Listed building expertise.
• Planning appeals.

Oxfordshire and Development

Oxfordshire faces challenges with preserving its greenbelt and handling the pressures of increasing tourism. Oxfordshire County Council’s 2024 development plan focuses on sustainable growth while conserving the county’s natural beauty and historic charm: its main aims are to provide more affordable housing, support the local economy, and improve infrastructure.

Protecting the county’s historic towns and villages is a top priority, with development carefully managed to blend with Oxfordshire’s unique character. Oxfordshire plans to build around 40,000 new homes between 2024 and 2035. To balance this with protecting the county’s natural assets, the council is promoting green infrastructure and ensuring that new developments are in harmony with the surrounding landscapes.

New Development Planning Policy

Areas earmarked for development include Oxford and Bicester, where new housing and commercial projects are planned to meet growing demand. Oxford, the major urban centre, will see more housing and improvements to public spaces, while Bicester’s growth as an eco-friendly town with sustainable living projects will continue.

Two major town planning schemes include the Oxford North project, which will bring new homes, offices, and community spaces, and the Bicester Garden Town initiative, focusing on green living with thousands of new homes, parks, and sustainable transport.

Beautiful Projects by Five Planning Consultancies in Oxfordshire

Fuller Long Planning

Working predominantly with clients in London and the Home Counties, as well as throughout England and Wales, Fuller Long Planning offers a full planning service, from pre-planning advice to planning applications, site feasibility studies, planning appeals, and design and access statements.

Fuller Long dealt with a planning appeal and planning application for the demolition of a garage and the erection of a two-bedroom house with solar panels. Oxford City Council, the local authority, refused an application in 2021 due to its impact on the surrounding area. The site is on a corner plot and Fuller Long was appointed to prepare an appeal; they identified similar schemes on comer plots and argued that it would not be out of character.

The Planning Inspectorate found that the scheme would not be detrimental to the area, however, the appeal was dismissed due to a lack of a legal agreement relating to restricting the provision of parking permits in the future. Fuller Long resubmitted a planning application and following a legal undertaking to restrict parking permits for occupants, the application was granted planning permission.

JPPC Chartered Town Planners

The John Phillips Planning Consultancy (JPPC) provides planning advice on a range of issues and works across the UK. JPPC offers a full range of town planning and development services across many sectors, including private clients, residential, housing, heritage, rural, and retail.

This individual home was a replacement for workshop buildings in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. JPPC provided planning advice regarding requirements for the change from a protected employment site to a new housing site, and planning permission was obtained for this 8000sq ft house on a hilltop location, designed by Brookes Cavendish Ltd. and incorporating flint work to suit the Chilterns setting.

Mark Doodes Planning

This chartered town planning consultancy is based in Oxfordshire and London and works on schemes across the UK. Mark Doodes Planning has over 20 years of extensive experience in schemes from single homes to new housing, heritage schemes, and Class Q barn conversions. Consultants can handle the entire process from making an application to the local authority, including drawings and submission of documents, to appeals, land promotion and local plan representations.

Mark Doodes Planning secured planning consent for this scheme involving three detached houses near Abingdon, on a greenfield site. The location was sustainable being in a growing village with a housing shortage, close to three other villages, and with transport links.

Allied Design Associates

This north Oxford-based RIBA charted practice has over 35 years of experience in providing planning advice, specialising in sustainable architecture, historic buildings, and Passivhaus Trust principles. With its services including consultancy, design, and construction management, it can guide clients through the entire process from design to planning applications and completion of the build.

Allied Design Associates designed and obtained planning permission for this beautiful light-filled extension.

Insight Planning Services

Insight Planning Services can guide schemes through the planning process from the feasibility stage to completion, dealing with architectural design and services, design and build, building regulations, planning and construction. They have many years of experience and specialise in bespoke garden offices, along with obtaining planning permission in conservation areas and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, listed buildings, barn conversions, and loft and garage conversions.

Insight Planning Services provided planning advice and obtained grade II listed building consent for this former public house, now a residential home in Ducklington, Oxfordshire. The scheme involved a front extension, front and rear porches and internal alterations.

Guidance on Specific Planning Issues

If you are looking for guidance with a development scheme that faces challenges in progressing through the planning system, you might want to engage a planning consultancy. The first step is to contact a consultancy with extensive experience in similar projects to yours so that you can see their results.

Their experience gained from years working alongside local authorities and dealing with all aspects of the planning process and planning law gives planning consultants clear advantages. From an ability to spot development opportunities to clarifying the whole process of applying for planning applications, their local knowledge of the planning system may offer your scheme the best chance of success.