Planning
Heatons have developed a vast portfolio of clients from a range of sectors that trust us to prepare planning applications on their behalf.
Applications
Heatons prepare planning applications for projects ranging from single applications to large scale residential and commercial sites.
Providing pre-application advice prior to submission, our team liaise with the Council to eliminate issues for the best possible outcome.
We have experience in preparing and submitting a wide range of applications, including: Green Belt development, Changes of Use, development in Conservation Areas and other sensitive locations, and Section 73 applications to amend planning conditions.
Appeals
In the event that planning permission is refused, Heatons have an excellent track record of successful planning appeals. We have experience in dealing with appeals to the Planning Inspectorate through written representations, informal hearings and also as acting as the principal expert planning witness at public inquiries.
As chartered town planners we benefit from ‘direct access’ provisions to instruct Barristers and have worked with some of the leading specialist planning and environmental Barrister’s chambers in the country.
Development Plan Monitoring
Our Local Development Plan monitoring database builds an accurate picture of planning policies that may have implications for planning applications. Tailored to your specific requirements, our custom built system can help identify future opportunities in advance to help develop the best strategy for securing potential development.
For more details of the Local Development Plan monitoring system, please get in touch and we can discuss the options.
Community Planning & Engagement
Heatons support clients with public exhibitions and community engagement.
We can create bespoke presentation materials, including layout boards, descriptive text and key statements, illustrative plans for local communities.
We can also provide high-quality photography and visualisations which offer enhanced appreciation of development proposals, often helping to communicate schemes to stakeholders and local communities.
Land & Site Appraisals & Promotion
We provide professional informed advice for individuals or groups seeking to attain planning permission for a specific plot. We provide pre-application advice before an application is submitted.
Our team manage the application throughout the planning process, and work with the local authority to overcome any issues.
We can also help find suitable sites for projects by providing full appraisals and guidance on the most appropriate plot.
DCO
Development Consent Orders (DCO) are the delivery mechanism for National Significant Infrastructure Projects through the Planning Act 2008.
Heatons have specialists with many years’ experience of advising clients, often embedded within the client team, in relation to DCO projects from inception through to onsite delivery. We have DCO experience in a number of sectors including energy, transport and water.
Whilst following a prescribed form, DCO’s are often very complex in terms of project set up, nature, scale, output, and delivery. Our experts can assist at all stages of the DCO process if you are the applicant or you are a party affected by a DCO.
Given the complexities of a DCO and the DCO being a piece statute, the attention to detail, compliance with legal procedures and interface between all technical specialists, legal teams, regulators and stakeholders is paramount. Our team are experts at managing this interface and procedures and have a wide network of associate specialists they can bring to a project to support delivery.
We have particular specialist expertise in the post DCO grant delivery of projects, developing strategies to deliver DCO requirement discharge & Protective Provision, obligation and commitments compliance. Working with the client and delivery teams to programme the works schedule in compliance with the DCO.