Interview: Planning Ventures

‘Intelligent Planning’ with the experts Jules & Lyn.

A bit about us… We’re a two-woman independent planning consultancy based in Bristol and working throughout the South-West. We passionately believe that high-quality development fundamentally affects how we live and respond to space, and we approach all our work with this mindset, whatever the nature or scale of the project.

What we do... We provide tailor-made planning support for any type of property project, be it residential, commercial, environmental or heritage. From pre-application to approval, we work with property owners, developers and architects to steer a path through the planning system. We offer advice, manage applications and appeals, and provide expert planning input wherever it’s needed. Our role is all about managing the process - we leave the design and drawing work to the architects! Your project, where to start...

No two projects are the same, but there are some basic points that will save you time and money when embarking on your own ‘grand design’. For starters, do some policy research and check out the planning history and constraints of your property. If it’s listed, remember that every change you make will need permission. If it’s complex, you could pursue a pre-application enquiry, and it’s almost always worth engaging with your neighbours as early as possible. We’d always recommend frontloading your application with detail - even for a minor renovation project. We can guide you through all or any of these steps towards getting your proposals off the ground. Our favourites...

We love the variety of our projects, and it’s difficult to pick favourites. In recent years we’ve delivered consent for a bespoke housing development in the North Somerset village of Sandford, advised on a listed farmhouse complex at Lye Hole (Wrington), and promoted the refurbishment of The Litton in the Chew Valley as a beautiful rural boutique pub. We’ve secured a new arts centre for a care home in Cheddar, gained approval for the extension and renovation of large rural properties in Wiltshire and assisted with a contemporary extension to a C19th country house in the Cotswolds. We provide advice to Estate owners and new purchasers on what can be achieved with their property. We thrive on the different challenges they present and relish a quirky site!

Relationships are key... Success for us is founded on respectful relations with clients, colleagues and Local Authorities - Planning can be a very confrontational game and it helps to work with kind people. We’re convinced that collaborative working delivers the best outcomes for all, and our relationships with ‘the planners’ are central to this, be they from Bristol, North Somerset, BANES or South Gloucestershire Councils. Without them we won’t secure positive decisions, and without these you can’t move forward on your projects. At the end of the day we’re all striving for high quality, deliverable development, so let’s make the process as positive as possible.››››››››››››› 35