BCP Council (Poole):  Darryl Howells, a director of the firm is pleased to secure full planning permission for the demolition of a bungalow and the erection of three large chalet bungalows with shared vehicular access and parking. The plans were drawn up by Brian Nicholls of Brian Nicholls Architects Ltd, however the applicant sought Darryl’s involvement due to his planning expertise, knowledge of planning policies and pro-active approach to securing planning permission.

Negotiations with the Local Planning Authority were protracted as during the consideration of the application, there was a change of planning officer but also of an arboricultural officer – all having differing opinions of how the scheme should come forward, or if at all according to one officer.   Darryl and the design team worked through each of the concerns that related to house design, impact to neighbours, loss of trees, vehicular access, parking provision and quantum of development. 

One of the more unusual negotiations related to the retention of hedging that runs either side of the proposed rearward chalet bungalow on the boundaries of the site.  The planning officer wanted to impose a condition that required the retention of the hedges without reduction in width or height as their presence would screen the development from neighbouring rear gardens.  Whilst the officer was willing to approve the development subject to a condition, Darryl argued that if the condition was imposed then the houses could not be constructed as there would be no space for scaffolding.  It seemed we were in a “Catch-22” position and playing poker to who would blink first. 

Not wanting to have the LPA impose the condition, Darryl suggested a series of measures and amendments to the plans that did not affect floor space but offered the LPA the comfort that the hedges could be retained whilst allowing the scaffolding to be erected.  The discussion concluded with the LPA accepting Darryl’s pro-active solutions to resolve the deadlock so that the LPA could issue the approval and the development commence. Sometimes the role of the planning consultant is to ‘think outside the box‘ and create solutions to problems caused by planning officer even when their intentions were not to do so. 

If you have a housing or commercial development and you have met with resistance or been unable to negotiate with the usual arguments, then please contact one of our consultants whom will be able to create positive solutions so your proposed development can materialise and achieve its optimum value.