Planning Consultants and Planning Law

Our experts provide support to a range of clients including private developers and those from the voluntary sector from across the country. The team also provide planning support to local authorities.

The Planning team, which includes a chartered waste manager, have played a key role in progressing a wide range of high-profile projects. These include the redevelopment of the Ageas Bowl (formerly the Rose Bowl), the home of Hampshire Cricket. For this project Paris Smith were finalists at the 2016 Planning Awards for placemaking.

Our planning experts  have a wide network of contacts and access to multidisciplinary and specialist external consultants who we can bring on board to assist with your project. Examples include architects, highways, heritage, noise and ecology experts.

Key planning services

We are able to provide both planning consultants and planning lawyers to support all of your planning requirements.

Planning Consultants

Our planning consultants are able to provide a wide range of services including:

• site assessments and planning appraisals;
• pre-planning application advice and submission;
• planning applications for outline and full planning permissions;
• exercising and advising on the use of permitted development rights;
• reserved matters and applications to discharge conditions;
• major development projects, including mixed use developments;
• public consultation strategies and press releases;
• site promotions through the Local Plan process;
• planning policy advice;
• advice on the Community Infrastructure Levy;
• nutrient neutrality budget preparation and mitigation advice for nitrates and phosphates;
• certificates of lawfulness for existing uses or proposed development (CLUED);
• planning appeal support (Section 78); and
• commercial to residential conversions.

Planning Legal

Our planning lawyers provide the following services:

• Working with planning consultants to obtain planning consents
• Advocacy at examination in public inquiries
• Preparing representations on emerging local plans
• Political and public consultation exercises
• Negotiating and drafting Section 106, 278 and 38 Agreements
• Coordination and management of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA’s)
• Advising on Section 104 Agreements (Water Industry Act 1991)
• Advising on Unilateral Undertakings
• Advising on Phosphate Agreements
• Advising on Nitrate Credit Allocation Agreements
• Providing advice on judicial review (planning)
• Providing legal advice on heritage matters
• Due diligence (property transactions)
• Certificates of lawfulness for existing uses or proposed development (CLUED)
• Advice on advertisement regulations
• Providing legal advice and representation at appeals
• Instructing barristers for legal opinions, representation at planning inquiries and examinations in public
• Advice on stopping up orders for highways and footpaths to facilitate development
• Tree Preservation Orders

Examples of recent project success

• Putting together a comprehensive planning statement including site description; clients’ proposals for the site; planning history; planning policy; ecosystems services statement and more which successfully resulted in planning permission being obtained for a new winery/wedding barn at a vineyard situated in the South Downs National Park.
• We assisted a London-based developer to achieve the delivery of 56 homes at Trinity Place in the heart of Woking’s town centre. Starting life as an office, our team secured prior approval for an office to residential conversion under permitted development rights quickly followed by a successful planning application for external alterations including a roof extension to provide 8 additional units. A couple of minor amendments along the way, and we successfully achieved the discharge of the planning conditions.
• Successfully obtaining prior approval for a change of use from offices to residential resulting in the provision of 17 residential units comprising 1 and 2 bedroom apartments, followed by a planning application for all necessary external changes.
• Planning consent achieved for a major development on a brownfield site in a London Borough of a 6-storey building comprising mixed community use with church and 33 affordable housing units. Negotiated and drafted the associated Section 106 agreement.
• Secured planning consent and negotiated Section 106 Agreement for a pioneering trauma informed approach residential community for women and their children on a brownfield site in a Southampton conservation area, comprising living accommodation, childcare, health and education facilities.
• Provided planning support to a local planning authority development management team handling a major planning application on their behalf attending site meetings, assessing planning applications and supporting documents, preparing the planning report and presenting at a planning committee.  
• Negotiations and drafting of a complex Section 106 Agreement on behalf of a residential Developer, also involving numerous landowners and two local authorities in respect of a major housing development comprising of 450 residential units, new school, community centre and new roads, together with financial contributions. 
• Drafting a detailed and complex Section 278 Agreement on behalf of a regional chain of garden centres covering changes to the road network and new accessway to a new garden centre development.
• Supporting Eastleigh Borough Council in preparing their local plan and representing the Council at Examination in Public (EiP) as well as providing planning legal support and counsel services throughout the process.

In-House Counsel

Our team of experienced lawyers is well-equipped to support you in various ways. Whether you require advice on a specific issue, additional resources due to capacity constraints, or a second opinion, we are here to help. Explore our legal counsel page for more information and details on our schedule of seminars, specifically designed for in-house counsel.

How we work with you

Whilst based in the South of England, Paris Smith acts for businesses and families throughout the UK. Technology has enabled us to provide a high level of service to our clients whether they are local to our offices or not. Our advice can be given in many ways:

• Over the telephone
• Via video conferencing
• In face to face meetings

We will talk through how you would like to be contacted and the best ways for us to meet in our early conversations with you.