Why do you need a Chartered Town Planner
“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur” Red Adair
Often, the first time people deal with town planning is when they want to build something or re-use a building, or there is a development proposed or being built in their communities. People are suddenly faced with trying to read and understand complex legislation and policies and dealing with a Council to either try and gain permission or stop permission being granted. From the outside looking in, planning procedures can appear to be lengthy and difficult to navigate through and many questions remain unanswered. It can be overwhelming, frustrating, pressurised and bureaucratic for users.
A Chartered Town Planner can cut through all the complexity to help, support and guide people through town planning procedures; whether it be to achieve or to protect your dreams.
If you are thinking of constructing a new building or extension or changing the use of an existing building, a Chartered Town Planner can provide a service that extends beyond the input of other professionals, who are not qualified or trained in town planning. Whilst every professional who is involved in development is essential and important as part of your project; your development cannot go ahead unless you have planning permission. A Chartered Town Planner is your key to gaining planning permission for your development. They can work alongside your chosen architect or builder to provide you with a comprehensive service or they can take the lead and manage your project as part of a team of professionals. Often, they have associates that they regularly work with that can provide you with a ready-made project team.
A Chartered Town Planner can submit your planning application to the Council for you along with robust supporting documentation, including a full analysis against planning policy. They can respond to any objections that may arise, deal with any conditions requiring discharge by the Council, represent you at planning committee, and if necessary, help fight an appeal on your behalf, should your application be refused. They can also provide advice and support if issues do arise, which alert the Council’s enforcement team.
A Chartered Town Planner can help you at any stage of the planning process and they don’t necessarily need to be involved from the outset…. although it does help in identifying and avoiding any planning issues up front, particularly in advance of a site being bought or a project commencing.
If there is a development proposed or currently being built in your community that you have concerns about, a Chartered Town Planner can advise you how the planning system works. They can explain to you how to contact the Council and most effectively put across your points; whether they be objections, comments or in support of a development. A Chartered Town Planner can draft correspondence for you to submit to the Council, which will include a full analysis of the proposals against planning policies. They can support you by putting forward your point of view to the planning committee, when possible, and can help fight an appeal on your behalf, should the application be refused, and the applicant submits an appeal. A Chartered Town Planner can also put forward your concerns relating to potential enforcement matters.
Why contacting a Chartered Town Planner would be the right decision for you
You wouldn’t employ anyone other than a surgeon to perform an operation on you so why would you employ an unqualified professional to give you planning advice or get you planning permission?
Choosing the right professional for your needs: TheTownPlanner: Your Best Choice
Focused Service – unlike other professionals involved in development, a Chartered Town Planner has the detailed knowledge and experience to focus on your town planning needs. Their sole aim is to either gain planning permission for you, or if you are concerned about a development, assisting you to put up the strongest possible case against it. They do not have to juggle their time working on other building related issues and will consider it more appropriate to leave that to other professionals, who are qualified in those fields.
Adding Value – a Chartered Town Planner can assess what does and does not need planning permission. They can find the quickest and most effective way through complex planning procedures; particularly if they have worked at a Council and have a practical understanding how the system works. They have been specifically trained to interpret planning policy and assess proposals against those policies; which is exactly what the Council will do with planning applications or enforcement cases that they are dealing with.
Expert Advice – A Chartered Town Planner is a fully qualified expert in town planning and can draw upon this to provide you with the best advice available. Planning systems, legislation, policies and guidance are constantly changing. A Chartered Town Planner will always keep on top of these changes. They can use their knowledge and experience to come up with a bespoke plan for your project.
Better Communication – Unfortunately, town planning is full of jargon and terms that are difficult to interpret and understand. It is quite easy for non-planners to end up talking at cross purposes with the Council planners, or for misunderstandings to arise. A Chartered Town Planner can communicate with the Council planners on your behalf using the same references and language they will use to either support your development or to get your points across, where you may have concerns about a development. A Chartered Town Planner speaks fluent Town Planning!
Peace of Mind – A Town Planner having gained a degree accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute needs to gain an appropriate level of experience before they can become a Chartered Town Planner. Thereafter they are bound by a Professional Code of Practice. They are required to keep their knowledge and training up to date. When working as private consultants they are required to carry professional indemnity insurance in the interests of customer protection.
It therefore makes perfect sense to contact a Chartered Town Planner for advice and help to guide you through the planning system.
