Planning permission - how to play to win

Obtaining planning permission for a capital investment and expansion programme saw Huntingdon company Admiral Conservatories experience a steep learning curve at the hands of bureaucracy.

Steve Thorogood, a partner in Admiral, tells of his experience in the hope that it will benefit other business people who are about to embark on, or are in the throes of, obtaining planning permission.

After two years of searching for a suitable relocation site, Admiral came across the BP petrol station site at Alconbury, next to the McDonalds spaceship, owned by BP. After lengthy negotiations, a sale was agreed subject to Change of Planning Use. Admiral thought the process would be straight forward, but knew little about the area of planning for Change of Use.

The Huntingdon firm of planning consultants, Campbell Mead, were called in to advise on strategy. The Parish Council raised no objection to the plan, but when it was put forward to the Planning Officer, it was turned down on the grounds that, "the proposal would result in a visually intrusive and incongruous form of development in the countryside."

Under the guidance of Campbell Mead, Admiraldecided to take the case to Planning Committee. A list of the names and addresses of the committee was obtained and each member was lobbied by both Campbell Mead and Admiral. Six months on from the initial submission of plans to the Parish Council, a meeting between Planning Officer and Planning Committee was held. The plans were debated, proposed and seconded, with the Planning Committee raising no objections to Planning for Change of Use being granted, only placing a restriction on the area in which 'sales' can take place.

As a businessman of eleven years, Steve Thorogood uses his experience to advise:

1. Contact a planning consultant, preferably by word-of-mouth recommendation. Admiral didn't think there would be a problem but, "you wouldn't go into court without a solicitor, it's the same analogy."
2. Don't be intimidated just because you're in an unfamiliar area. Should a case reach planning committee stage, remember the onus is on them to provide a valid reason why planning permission should NOT be allowed.
3. If you are up against a large corporate company, everyone wants a fair and just result. Negotiate as you would at any other level.
4. If you do reach the point of despair where all the power is with one individual and the reason for refusal is confounding, carry on. At the end of the day the system works. Admiral Conservatories have now moved into the new site.