Our client sought planning permission for up to 44 new homes (including 13 affordable homes) on a brownfield site opposite Hungerford Railway Station, on the M4 corridor in West Berkshire. The site was derelict, cleared and unoccupied, and had been subject to various failed planning applications previously.

Challenge

The site had a chequered planning history, so it was important to explain our scheme and build support from the bottom up via political and community meetings and public consultation.

Solution

• We held several pre-application meetings with officers, ward councillors, the Chairman of the Town Council’s Environment and Planning Committee, the Mayor and the Cabinet Member for Planning on West Berkshire Council, all of whom were supportive of regenerating the unattractive and redundant site but highlighted parking, height, sustainability and density as areas of concern.

• We held an online consultation which ran for a month, informing residents by posting a notification letter to 456 neighbouring addresses.

• Approximately 19 residents submitted written feedback by the end of the consultation, with key concerns repeatedly raised around parking, height, and density.

• To build support for the proposals we made a presentation and answered questions at the Town Council’s Environment and Planning Committee. Community consultation and feedback from the Town Council and neighbours allowed the project team to understand the views of residents and amend the scheme accordingly improving the layout and landscaping.

• SP Broadway compiled a Statement of Community Involvement outlining the process of engagement which was submitted in conjunction with the planning application.

Result

With little negative feedback from the consultation, and all key stakeholders aware of the scheme and briefed, the scheme was consented via delegated decision.

The post 44 homes appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought planning permission for up to 150 low-carbon sustainable new homes alongside new parkland and football pitches in Chesterton, on the edge of Bicester in Oxfordshire, within a council area which graduated from Conservative to no overall control during the planning timescale.

Challenge

Our clients undertook various pre-app meetings with Cherwell District Council who were supportive, albeit this did not translate in the paperwork. Drainage was highlighted as a technical issue and Chesterton was a category A village with no neighbourhood plan. Nearby a new sports centre and US led Great Wolf Resort were approved on appeal.

Solution

• SP Broadway met with residents and political / community leaders to communicate a positive vision for the new homes, new parkland and football pitches being proposed, and to understand local views in light of extensive other development in the local area, just off the M40 Oxford-Birmingham corridor.
• SP Broadway organised a public exhibition for residents, which was attended by approximately 72 people, including two Parish councillors. The key points that repeatedly came up in the feedback included pavements and walking, provision of a village shop, roads, primary school places, cycle lanes and public transport. We also created a website to invite online feedback.
• We informed residents of the public exhibition and online consultation by posting a notification letter to 437 addresses in the immediate vicinity after discussions with officers and ward members on the radius of invitees.
• To build support for the proposals, we met with the Chairman of Chesterton Football Club. Discussions were positive and the Chairman highlighted that further improvements to the Pavilion, parking spaces, football pitches and a potential tennis court would be beneficial to the local community, and likely help build support.
• SP Broadway compiled a Statement of Community Involvement outlining the process of engagement which was submitted in conjunction with the planning application.

Result

A planning application was submitted on 16th January 2023. The application was refused in July 2023. Subsequently, an appeal was submitted, and planning permission was granted in May 2024, the Inspector agreed the new homes were in compliance with the development plan, and ‘material considerations’ did not indicate the Inspector should decide other than in accordance with the development plan.

The post 150 low carbon homes appeared first on SP Broadway.

After 2 years of marketing land on the edge of Witney that had previously been consented for employment use (offices and a hotel), and failing to attract offers, our client required assistance for a change-of-use application to provide 75 new homes.  The District Council opposed the proposed change-of-use, considering the land ‘de facto employment land’ despite the lack of commercial interest.

Challenge

The District Council believed that since the land had previously been consented for employment use (albeit five years before), it should remain solely reserved for employment use.

Solution

• SP Broadway undertook a campaign to explain the advantages of the change-of-use to key political stakeholders.  We gained a motion of support from the local Parish Council, which agreed that it ‘does not seem logical’ to retain the land for employment.  We also received the approval of the local ward member, who said the scheme was ‘easy to support’.

• We sought input from the public regarding potential community facilities or projects that could be funded from developer contributions.

• We initiated a ‘door to door’ neighbourhood petition aimed at informing residents about the advantages and feasibility of new homes.  The planning application included 40% affordable housing, improvements to public green spaces and children’s play areas, as well as the developer’s commitment to financially supporting a community-driven project.

Result

• Although ward members were sympathetic to the change-of-use, the District Council’s officers refused the change-of-use application in March 2022 using delegated powers.

• Our client appealed the delegated refusal, and the inspector allowed the appeal.  The inspector noted that the proposal ‘would support economic growth through direct and indirect jobs and investment’, agreed that there were no grounds for the District Council’s initial claim that the site was ‘de facto employment land’, and highlighted that the council could only demonstrate a 3.5 year housing supply.

The post 75 homes (change-of-use) appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client had a draft allocation for 26 new homes in the draft South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) Review.  However, they were seeking to submit a planning application for an additional 75 homes on land to the north of the allocation site.

Challenge

SP Broadway had to meet with residents and political community leaders to communicate a positive vision for the additional homes that were being proposed, and to understand local views.

Solution

• We organised a public exhibition for residents, which was attended by approximately 250 people. Residents raised concerns over the impact of the development on traffic, the environment, a Grade 2 listed bridge, and local services.

• We informed residents of the public exhibition and online consultation by posting a notification letter to 359 addresses.  We also created a website to enable online feedback.

• To build awareness of the scheme, we met with the local ward member on Wychavon District Council.  Topics discussed included the lack of parking in the village, the views of residents, and the need for more clarity concerning the EIA screening process.

• In response to community concerns, various changes were made to the proposals, including replacing sports pitches with a wildflower meadow, and increasing the buffer zone alongside existing homes.

Result

A planning application was submitted; however, the council failed to determine the application in time. An appeal was submitted on grounds of non-determination, and is currently ongoing.

The post 100 homes appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought planning permission for 75 affordable flats and 330 square metres of commercial space.  The site had previously received planning permission for approximately 70 flats.

Challenge

Although there was an existing consent for c.70 units with a mix of 1,2,& 3 beds, our client wished to deliver a 100% affordable scheme.  It was SP Broadway’s priority to highlight throughout the consultation and engagement the benefits of delivering a fully affordable scheme in a sustainable location that would help to reinvigorate the local High Street.

Solution

• SP Broadway organised a meeting with leading planning councillors, where we highlighted the benefits of providing 100% affordable homes in an area that had a need for affordable housing.  Engagement provided the project team with useful feedback regarding design and carbon neutrality.

• We contacted the three local ward members to introduce the scheme and offer a briefing to discuss the proposals and answer any questions they may have.

• To keep residents informed, we launched a consultation website which presented the proposals and provided residents with an opportunity to leave feedback.  To inform residents an invitation letter was sent to over 600 local addresses and an advertisement was posted on a local news page.

• We compiled a Statement of Community Involvement outlining the process of engagement, which was submitted with the planning application.

Result

Having secured the planning officer’s recommendation for approval, the scheme was unanimously approved by all 15 members of Runnymede Borough Council Planning Committee.

The post 75 affordable homes appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought planning permission to build two separate specialist care home facilities just outside Southampton: a nursing home with dementia care provision, and a specialist neurorehabilitation centre.

Challenges

• The land was allocated in the Local Plan for a different use.

• The proposals had been recommended for refusal by officers due to a number of factors, including objections to the proposed design and building height.

• The site proposals were opposed by the local Parish Council and ward councillors – two of whom were also members of the Planning Committee.

Solution

• SP Broadway contacted all key stakeholders, including the county councillor and the Member of Parliament.

• Through our contact with the Cabinet Member for Planning we facilitated a meeting with planning officers and the project team to address the reasons the scheme had been initially recommended for refusal. These included the scheme’s design and the fact that the proposed site was allocated as employment land in the council’s Local Plan.

• Following this meeting, the planning application was granted an extension of time to address some technical issues, which eventually resulted in the proposals receiving a recommendation to approve from planning officers. SP Broadway wrote a briefing letter to members of the Planning Committee to make sure they were aware of these technical challenges and to maintain the profile of the proposals.

• Ahead of the Planning Committee, SP Broadway circulated a second briefing letter to all committee members, highlighting the many benefits it would bring to the borough.  On the eve of committee, we called members of the Planning Committee to ensure they had read the letter and to answer any last-minute questions.

Result

The proposals went before the Planning Committee and were unanimously consented by members, including the two local ward councillors.

The post 141-bed care home appeared first on SP Broadway.

Carebase sought planning permission for a 60-bed care home on the site of a disused bowls club on the outskirts of Hayes, in the London Borough of Bromley.

Challenge

Though previously-developed land, the site was designated Urban Open Land, with protected status similar to Green Belt.  The site was also immediately adjacent to an apartment block whose residents vigorously opposed the site’s development.

Solution

• SP Broadway organised meetings for Carebase with the three Bromley Council members for Hayes ward, and with the Hayes Village Association. These meetings quickly established that key local stakeholders were opposed to the proposals.

• We organised a public exhibition in the Village Hall, sending individual invitation letters to over 800 addresses in Hayes. Despite this, turnout at the exhibition was low – only 70 attendees – and feedback was mixed.

• With limited engagement from the Hayes ward members, we opened up a useful channel of communication with the Cabinet Member for Planning on Bromley Council, who proved a helpful source of advice on further engagement.

• At the urging of the Cabinet Member for Planning, Carebase entered into discussions with the Adult Social Care team on Bromley Council, and agreement was reached on council nomination rights for ten beds in the proposed facility.

• In the run-up to determination, we undertook a door-knocking exercise in the hope of detecting wider public support within Hayes for the proposed facility. A total of 44 residents were happy to fill in a form indicating their support and post the form to Bromley Council Planning Department.

• In the week before the Development Control Committee meeting, we sent a brochure and detailed covering letter to every member of the committee summarising the proposals and extolling their benefits. Follow-up calls indicated that was some support for the facility on the committee.

Result

Despite a recommendation for approval, Bromley Council Development Control Committee voted to refuse Carebase’s application, despite support from some committee members.  Carebase appealed the decision, and the appeal was allowed.

The post 60-bed care home appeared first on SP Broadway.

Spitfire Bespoke Homes sought to gain 1) a Local Plan allocation for new homes on Dunstall Farm, a plot of agricultural land on the southern edge of Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire, and 2) a detailed planning consent for 250 homes.

Challenge

Over the preceding five years Cotswold District Council had consented a considerable amount of development in the town, including three new large developments. Reaction to this development had been largely negative from the local community and politicians, with the local MP and councillors condemning them as unsustainable. In January 2015 Cotswold District Council published its Development Strategy and Site Allocations document, which determined that only one site of 21 homes was to be allocated in Moreton-in-Marsh in the new Local Plan period.

Solution

• SP Broadway organised strategic meetings with key local community and political figures including the Town Council and the local MP. This allowed us to understand the positions of key stakeholders and provided us with an early opportunity to highlight the benefits of the proposals.

• We held two public exhibitions showcasing the plans, with members of the project team on hand to answer any queries and explain the benefits the development could bring to the town. To demonstrate our client’s commitment to community consultation, we invited all local residents within a broad radius of the site and all local political and community stakeholder groups.

• We organised a Community Working Group, inviting selected residents and town & district councillors to discuss the evolving masterplan for the site in greater detail. The Working Group met a total of eight times over six months.

• Despite an initial lack of political support for the proposals, as a result of our political and community engagement the site was allocated for 119 homes in Cotswold District Council’s Local Plan.

• Having secured the draft allocation, it was decided to bring forward a planning application. A third public exhibition was held and a detailed planning application for 250 homes was submitted.

• At a Planning Committee meeting, members resolved to defer the application in order to secure greater certainty on the scheme’s contribution towards primary education in Moreton-in-Marsh. We organised a meeting with the ward member for the site – a Planning Committee member – to discuss this issue in greater detail, and sent a letter to all Planning Committee members clarifying Spitfire’s position on this issue.

Result

Spitfire’s detailed planning application for 250 homes was consented by Cotswold District Council Planning Committee.

The post 250 homes appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client had lodged a planning application with SODC for 43 apartments and 221 sqm new office space on the site of light industrial and low-grade existing office space on Newtown Road, Henley on Thames. The site is located on a business park and had been marketed for commercial use for 18 months with no interest and had been vacant for over 10 years.

Challenge

The adopted Henley Neighbourhood Plan designated the site for employment use only, with Henley Town Council objecting to the proposals on this basis. The local ward members, one of which sat on the Planning Committee, were also objecting on this basis.

Solution

SP Broadway were instructed a month before committee to undertake political engagement and to explain the advantages of a mixed-use regeneration of a brownfield site in this location. We drafted and prepared a briefing letter to Planning Committee members, highlighting the existing buildings were outdated and not in demand. This was followed up with telephone conversations to committee members highlighting 6 key advantages of the redevelopment:

• 43 apartments in a sustainable location, 15 minutes’ walk from Henley station

• 221 sqm of brand-new office space, ideal for small businesses and start-ups

• 8 affordable apartments provided on-site on a shared ownership basis

• High-quality, brand new homes instead of an office-to-residential conversion

• Maintaining an employment use on-site instead of a wholly residential proposal

• Bringing a vacant brownfield site back into a productive, mixed use

Result

Despite objections from the Town Council and local ward members, the Planning Committee voted 6-2 in favour of the application, with 1 abstention.

The post New homes & office space appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought to redevelop two buildings on Kensington High Street, which were run-down externally and in a poor state of repair internally. The proposals were mixed-use, involving the redevelopment of the interior of the buildings with ground-floor retail, offices and residential apartments, as well as the retention and restoration of the buildings’ facades. The redevelopment would help ensure the survival of these Georgian buildings within the Kensington Conservation Area.

Challenge

Given the site’s location on the frontage of Kensington High Street, there were concerns about the impact on traffic during the construction phase of the redevelopment, as access to the site would be limited and require construction vehicles to use the High Street itself. There were also concerns about how construction works would impact residents.

Solution

• SP Broadway compiled a detailed Political and Community Stakeholder Audit to identify key local stakeholders. Once completed, we arranged a meeting with the site ward councillors to brief them on the proposals and hear their views on the design and on our planned community consultation exercise.

• During our briefing meeting with ward councillors, they expressed concerns about access arrangements for construction vehicles, which would have to use Kensington High Street, and as a result a more detailed approach towards construction management was adopted.

• To alleviate any potential concerns of local residents regarding construction, we drafted and sent out a detailed information letter to residents and businesses in an agreed radius around the site, including images of the current buildings and images of the proposed redevelopment. The letter also explained invited residents and businesses to submit feedback to SP Broadway. Only one response was received.

Result

Following the circulation of our information letter to local residents, we gave a two-week consultation period to allow for feedback before submitting a planning application.  The scheme was consented under delegated powers.

The post Mixed-use development appeared first on SP Broadway.

The existing single house at Tree Tops, on the edge of Henley, was badly fire-damaged following an arson attack in March 2019, in an area prone to anti-social behaviour on the edge of the Chiltern AONB. Two planning applications for the site, submitted in 1988 and 2007, were refused. All subsequent appeals were dismissed.

Challenge

Our client lodged a planning application with SODC for the redevelopment of Tree Tops into 3 exceptional architect-designed new homes, believing that gaining political support for an innovative scheme was the best route forward in light of previous refusals.

Solution

SP Broadway were instructed to undertake political engagement to explain the advantages of the three homes. We met with Henley Town Council, SODC ward members, the Mayor and Henley Residents’ Association as part of a strategy to highlight the 5 key advantages of Tree Tops :

• 3 exceptional and outstanding architect-designed contemporary houses in a highly sustainable location;
• Bringing a derelict building on a vacant brownfield site back into productive use;
• Creating three low-density, low-impact houses respecting the character and appearance of the surrounding area and wider AONB;
• Extensive new tree planting, helping contribute towards the wider tree planting target for Henley;
• Environmental / ecological benefits including biodiversity enhancement.

Result

One-to-one meetings with ward councillors and our attendance at a Henley Town Council meeting to answer detailed questions over use of paddock land gained us the political support we needed, which then gave SODC officers the confidence to consent the scheme by delegated decision.

The post 3 architect-designed new homes appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client was seeking to redevelop a tired parade of disused shops next to Addlestone railway station, providing a new flexible retail space and 74 apartments.

Challenge

• Though the site had been allocated in the draft Runnymede Local Plan, there were concerns about the height of the proposed buildings.

• The site was next to a level crossing, which created considerable tailback during peak hours. As a result, the Council sought to minimise the number of parking spaces on site as part of a wider aim to deter car use, which residents did not agree was the right approach.

• The site formed part of the entrance into Addlestone, and was seen by the Council as a potential landmark building which required a high-quality design. This created issues of viability, with members concerned about the reduction in affordable homes.

Solution

•  We supported the client, planning consultant, and architect with a presentation to Runnymede Borough Council Planning Committee.

• SP Broadway organised a two-day public exhibition, and invited approximately 3,500 residents and stakeholders. The exhibition was held in one of the disused shops on the site, maximising the opportunity for local residents, commuters, and weekend visitors to the High Street to attend – this attracted a wider demographic, and the feedback received showed a majority of respondents supported the redevelopment.

• We liaised closely with a local shop that had a strong Facebook following among Addlestone residents, sending them images of the proposals and informing them when the application had been submitted.

Result

 The Committee spoke very positively about the scheme, and its contribution to the regeneration of Addlestone. It was approved by 12 votes to 1, subject to an agreement on the affordable housing provision with officers.

The post 74 new homes and 425sqm retail appeared first on SP Broadway.

A national housebuilder sought planning permission for 94 new homes on the site of a former garden centre in the village of Badshot Lea, Surrey.

Challenge

The site had outline planning permission for 80 homes, but that application did not include a ‘ransom strip’ of land through the centre of the site.  Our client had since acquired the strip and an entirely new application was required for a comprehensive development of the entire site for 94 homes.

Solution

• SP Broadway was appointed to fulfil a resident liaison role during the planning process.  Upon submission of the application we sent a briefing letter to over 300 residential and business addresses surrounding the site, providing information about the new scheme alongside our contact details.

• For over four months we handled all resident queries, liaising with the project team to provide residents with answers to technical questions on specific elements of the scheme.

• We liaised extensively with a resident whose home directly adjoined the site, who was concerned about the retention of trees and hedgerows on the site boundary, and also with a representative of the local tennis club regarding a potential contribution towards improvement of their facilities.

• In the run-up to the Planning Committee date, we oversaw the production of a comprehensive briefing letter and brochure explaining the key elements of the proposals, and sent this to all members of Waverley Borough Council’s Joint Planning Committee.

Result

Waverley Borough Council Joint Planning Committee members voted to approve our client’s planning application.

The post 94 new homes appeared first on SP Broadway.

A major housebuilder sought approval for 518 homes alongside 3,150sqm of flexible commercial space on the site of the Former Civic Offices in Bexleyheath town centre.

Challenge

• The site was an urban ‘off town centre’ location which had been derelict since 2012, and previous consented developments had failed to materialise.

• There were widespread concerns about density, height and scale of the development, focussed on the inclusion of a 13 storey landmark building in the north western corner of the site.

• The ward councillor and MP had stated their opposition to the scheme.

Solution

• We compiled a comprehensive Political & Community Stakeholder Survey and identifed the elected members and community leaders who could impact the planning application.

• We organised an initial two-day public exhibition, and invited over 1,800 residents, political stakeholders and journalists. Attendees filled in feedback forms, providing useful comments to help our client finalise the detail of the scheme before submission. We then held a second two-day public exhibition 3 weeks later, responding specifically to the points raised at the first exhibition.

• Post-submission we held a further feedback session for residents who continued to be interested in the application, which generated 28 letters of support. We then encouraged these residents to ensure they submitted their letters of support to the Council’s official consultation.

• We held individual meetings with important stakeholders including the MP, the Leader of the Council, the Assembly Member and the NHS Clinical Commissioning Group, and presented to Bexleyheath BID to secure support from local businesses.

Result

 After a lengthy debate at Bexley Borough Council Planning Committee, with 4 votes in favour and 4 votes against, the Chair of the Planning Committee used their casting vote to approve the scheme.

The post 518 new homes and 3,150sqm retail appeared first on SP Broadway.

Bellway Homes sought to submit Section 73 applications with regard to a mixed-use development in the London Borough of Greenwich. The original consent had been given in 2013 and Bellway had taken over the scheme from another developer in 2016, with the intention of building out the final phase. The Section 73 applications sought to change the design of the new homes in the final phase, and increase their number.

Challenge

Since the original consent in 2013, the scheme had already increased in size once, stretching the patience of councillors. In addition, access to the scheme ran through residential streets and over recent years residents had been aggrieved by construction traffic in the area during the build out.  There was a real risk that residents opposed to the scheme because of these traffic issues would use the Section 73 applications as an opportunity to voice their opposition to councillors, potentially derailing the progress of the development.

Solution

• SP Broadway invited residents to attend a Community Liaison Group, where construction, access, and other issues could be raised and resolved. Around 40 residents attended the meeting, chaired by SP Broadway, and a number of issues were addressed, taking the heat out of the situation. It was agreed to hold the meetings quarterly, until the construction of the final phase was completed.

• We created and maintained a project website, containing up-to-date information on the Section 73 applications, to keep residents updated after the meeting.

• We responded to all resident queries in the run-up to determination of the planning applications, ensuring that all issues raised were managed and not directed at councillors.

• We wrote to all Planning Committee members before determination dates, clearly setting out how the Section 73 applications would improve the scheme, and deliver more affordable homes.

Result

The first application, an uplift of 16 homes, was unanimously consented. The second application, for a further uplift of 10 homes, was consented by 10 votes to 1.

The post Post consent amendments and resident liaison appeared first on SP Broadway.

A national housebuilder sought to gain consent for a 394-home project in Rainham, Havering.

Challenge

• The site had a chequered history, with an application by another housebuilder for more than 700 homes having been rejected years earlier.

• Our client had seen their application deferred twice within a matter of months due to unresolved concerns regarding parking – there had been a local campaign by the site and neighbouring ward councillors, and committee members were concerned about a precedent being set for parking provision.

Solution

• Appointed days after the second deferral, our first step was to undertake a detailed Political & Community Stakeholder Survey that would provide our client with a full understanding of the key influencers in Rainham and the Borough.

• Using this research, SP Broadway arranged and attended a briefing meeting with a key Cabinet Member, who reassured our client that there was still a desire to see the scheme come forward.

• We drafted and sent a detailed 5-page briefing letter to all members of the planning committee. This focussed on the changes made to the scheme in direct response to the concerns expressed at committee, highlighting the enhanced design, new access arrangements, financial contributions, and most crucially an increased parking provision.

Result

At committee, the ward councillors encouraged the members to defer the application for a third time. After a long debate, the scheme was granted planning permission by 7 votes to 4 along party lines.

The post 394 new homes appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought consent to build 90 new homes and a railway station car park on fields on the edge of a village.

Challenge

• Concerns had been raised about too much development in the local area in general, in addition to specific concerns about traffic and parking.

• SP Broadway had to communicate the merits of our scheme while simultaneously demonstrating how it was a more practical and sustainable option compared to a neighbouring site.

Solution

• SP Broadway drafted a research document analysing recent planning committee meetings to best understand potential opportunities and likely concerns.

• We then drafted and sent a briefing letter to planning committee members, ward members and senior councillors. This letter laid out the advantages of the proposed development, emphasising the scheme’s compliance with the Local Plan, the sustainability of the location and emphasising key aspects of interest to councillors.

• We followed the letter with calls to members prior to the committee, to ensure they had received the letter, to establish whether they had any comments and to answer any last-minute questions.

Result

Stroud District Council Planning Committee voted to approve the application in April 2018. Three councillors voted to approve, three voted to oppose, four abstained and the Chairman of the Committee gave a casting vote to the proposals.

The post 90 new homes appeared first on SP Broadway.

A national housebuilder sought an allocation for 3,500 new homes on an underused airfield in Cambridgeshire.  SP Broadway was instructed to provide political, community and media relations support to promote the inclusion of the site in the council’s Local Plan.

Challenge

 SP Broadway was instructed after initial concern that the airfield would not be included in the emerging Local Plan.  Meanwhile a vocal campaign group had formed to fight the potential inclusion of the proposals in the plan, securing support from some ward councillors.

Solution

• SP Broadway undertook an initial ring-around of key council members to ascertain their views on the potential inclusion of our client’s site in the Local Plan. These calls established the site was in serious contention for inclusion in the draft plan, but ‘not certain’ to be included.

• SP Broadway organised a meeting with key cabinet members including the council leader and the cabinet member for planning to discuss and promote the merits of the site. Shortly after this meeting the draft plan was published, which included an allocation for 3,500 new homes on the airfield.

• As the Local Plan progressed through various council meetings, we held briefings with ward members and the MP to brief them on the proposals, gain an understanding of their views, and prevent/detect wavering of support.

• To tackle misinformation from the opposition group and any potential public misunderstanding, we launched a dedicated consultation website, outlining the key aspects of the proposed development and promoting the benefits.

• In the run up the council vote on the Local Plan a comprehensive briefing letter and leaflet were sent to all council members. Calls where then made to councillors to answer their questions and where necessary answer their concerns.

Result

 The Local Plan was ratified (27 in favour, 21 against) with an allocation for 3,500 new homes on our client’s airfield.

The post 3,500 new homes appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought consent for a mixed-use development, including 1,800 new homes, on a former airfield in the Surrey Borough of Waverley.  An earlier application to redevelop the site had been turned down for housing by the Council and at Appeal on traffic and access grounds in 2009.

Challenge

SP Broadway was instructed to bring new life to communications after the previous scheme had failed at committee and at Appeal, and to consider how to support a second standalone planning application to run alongside discussions on the allocation of the site in the Council’s Local Plan.

Solution

• We suggested holding off instigating a communications campaign until after the general election, to avoid the scheme becoming a political football in a key battleground.

• We began by raising the profile & availability of the site and outlining traffic & access solutions in a briefing letter sent to all Waverley councillors.  This letter intimated that a planning application may be brought forward ‘to help deliver the Government’s and wider communities’ aspirations for new homes in the area’, and focused on explaining the 10 key advantages of new homes on the airfield.

• We organised a public exhibition to introduce the new proposals.  Feedback showed that 69% of attendees were supportive / unopposed to plans for 1,800 new homes on the site.

• Following the public exhibition we sent an update letter to councillors reminding them of the key advantages of consenting new homes on the site, and set up briefings with key Cabinet Members.

• The Council published its Local Plan Draft Spatial Strategy, which suggested that a new settlement on the airfield ‘may offer the best opportunity to meet the Council’s housing needs’.  This was a significant U-turn, and resulted from a sustained and carefully targeted communications campaign.

• We kept up communications with councillors, defending the site’s place in the Local Plan, and the Council approved the Plan with an allocation of 2,600 homes on our client’s site.

Result

We provided crucial pre-committee communications in the run up to the Planning Committee decision.  After addressing traffic and access issues with Surrey County Council, the development gained an officer recommendation for approval, and despite last-minute lobbying by the anti-group and pressure from an articulate group of councillors on the Planning Committee, the scheme was consented by 10 votes to 8.

The Secretary of State subsequently called the application in, and after a lengthy examination granted consent.

The post 1,800 new homes appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought planning permission for a large urban extension to the south of Worcester, providing over 2,000 new homes, 14 hectares of employment land, a new local centre and highway improvements.

Challenge

• The site was on a major political fault line, covering three local authority areas, and therefore required consent from three planning committees.

• Our client’s planning application had been submitted in 2013. Four years on, agreement had not yet been reached with officers on the scheme’s affordable housing contribution, discussions had stalled, and potential committee dates were being routinely pushed back.

Solution

• SP Broadway was instructed to help liaise with political stakeholders, in order to build pressure on officers to agree a position on affordable housing and take the application to committee.

• We drafted a hard-hitting, four-page briefing letter, setting out the many economic and social benefits of the urban extension as well as our client’s position on affordable housing, sending this to all members of all three councils and copying in all the relevant planning officers to spur a response.

• The site also covered three parliamentary constituencies, so we arranged meetings with all three Members of Parliament to make them aware of the current delay and urge them to speak to their council leaders themselves about unlocking the affordable housing deadlock and progressing the application towards committee.

Result

Directly prompted by our briefing letter, officers made contact with our client and discussions on affordable housing were finally able to reach a resolution.  Armed with a recommendation for approval from officers, the application was approved by all three councils.

The post 2,204 new homes appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client had purchased a brownfield site in Woolwich with planning consent for 52 homes, and sought an uplift in the number of new homes to 65.

Challenge

• The uplift in numbers was made possible through the proposed removal of a ground level car park, and this had attracted objections from local businesses who were concerned about the impact of reduced parking availability in the area.

• Political and community representatives of the local area claimed more “family-sized homes” were required, and the new proposals reduced the proportion of three-bedroom flats.

• One of the local ward councillors openly opposed the new scheme, and was registered to speak against the planning application at committee.

Solution

• Instructed the week before the planning committee date, our client asked us to draft a briefing letter to committee members setting out the benefits of the new scheme.

• We studied the officer’s report and the planning application documents, and used this information to draft a concise two-page letter. This emphasised the affordable homes provision – policy compliant in terms of number of homes, and above-policy in terms of habitable rooms – and explained the need to remove on-site parking and reduce the proportion of three-bedroom flats.

• Shortly after sending the letter we contacted the ward councillor known to oppose the scheme, in order to fully understand his concerns about the proposals. We then helped our client formulate a written response to the points he had raised.

Result

The ward councillor thanked us for the comprehensive response, and agreed to withdraw his objections and not speak at committee. The planning committee awarded the new scheme a unanimous consent.

The post 65 new homes appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought outline planning permission to build 35 new homes on greenfield land at the edge of Gosfield, near Braintree, having submitted two tandem applications for two different access options.

Challenge

• The site was located on greenfield land at the edge of a small village, which had experienced very little development for decades.

• Two alternative access routes were proposed. One was objected to by the Highways Authority. The second access option was recommended for approval by District and County planning officers, but faced objections from members of the Parish Council, and was the subject of a petition signed by 125 opposed local residents and the local primary school.

• Local ward councillors and the Cabinet Member for Planning were hesitant about discussing the proposals.

Solution

• Our client instructed SP Broadway to formulate a communications strategy to gain political support for and minimise opposition to the planning application. We prepared a Political and Stakeholder Survey to identify and analyse the political makeup of Gosfield and Braintree, which enabled us to devise an engagement strategy, and understand the level of community support and key issues of concern.

• SP Broadway attended the Parish Council meeting at which the application was to be discussed, in order to gain a better understanding of local community views and the views of the Parish Council.

• We advised our client to compose a briefing letter to members of Braintree District Council Planning Committee. We guided them through the drafting of the letter, advising on content and tone, and reviewing it to ensure it succinctly outlined the political and community benefits of the scheme for councillors.

• We reviewed and advised on our client’s speech to Braintree Planning Committee, tailoring it to highlight the political merits of the scheme.

Result

In spite of the local petition and objections from members of the Parish Council, the scheme gained outline consent at Committee.

The post 35 new homes appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought support for their application to provide a new neighbourhood of 1,100 homes on the northern fringe of Ipswich, in addition to a new primary school, local centre and 30-hectare country park.

Challenge

Henley Gate was 1 of 3 neighbourhoods making up ‘Ipswich Garden Suburb’, allocated within Ipswich Borough Council’s emerging Core Strategy. However, there was concern amongst local community groups about the impact of a significant development. Another developer had submitted an application for a neighbourhood of 815 homes in July 2014 but it had not been brought before the Planning and Development Committee.

Solution

• A Political and Community Stakeholder Survey was drafted to identify and understand the concerns of groups and individuals, elected and non-elected, likely to have an interest in the planning application.

• Based on our understanding from the Survey, we designed and implemented a comprehensive programme of community engagement. This focused on 1) emphasising our coordination with the Council’s Core Strategy and its previous extensive consultation on the Ipswich Garden Suburb, and 2) communicating a vision of a community that Ipswich would be proud of.

• In engaging with the local residents through a public exhibition, a consultation website and a leaflet mass-mail, the strategy of coordinating messages with the Council’s Core Strategy established the application as the essential end-point of the Ipswich Garden Suburb consultation process.

• In engaging with the media through proactive press releases, we focused on the quality-of-life and community aspects of the scheme to support the vision of a community that Ipswich would be proud of.

• In engaging with political stakeholders through face-to-face meetings and political briefing letters, the two elements of the strategy were combined to maintain and enhance the development’s position as a policy priority for key councillors.

Result

Ipswich Borough Council Planning and Development Committee approved the application by 9 votes to 2. The Planning and Development Committee decision gained positive coverage in the local press.

The post New Garden Suburb appeared first on SP Broadway.

 Our client sought planning permission for 165 new homes on the edge of Hambleton, a village in Wyre Borough in Lancashire.

 Challenge

The site was located on a green field on the edge of the village.

An opposition group quickly formed and campaigned against the proposals on the grounds that new homes would impact the character of a small village. The group encouraged over 400 people, including the local MP, to submit letters of objection to the Council.

Solution

• We undertook detailed political research into the views and allegiances of members of the Committee, identifying positive messages around the scheme that were likely to resonate with key members.

• We produced and distributed a concise three-page briefing letter to all members of the Wyre Borough Council Planning Committee which outlined the key features of the proposal, and the lengthy consultation that shaped the application. The letter highlighted the sustainability of the site, and of the village of Hambleton, and detailed the generous amount of public open space that the development would provide.

• We followed this briefing letter with courtesy calls to members of the Planning Committee to make sure that they had received the letter, and to establish who would be attending the Committee meeting. We produced a detailed analysis of the responses made by members, providing our client with information on the composition of the Committee on the night, this allowed our client’s speech to the Committee to be specially tailored.

Result 

The Wyre Borough Council Planning Committee voted to approve the application by 7 votes to 1.

The post 165 new homes appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought planning permission to build new accommodation for the elderly on the site of a former depot in Cheadle, Greater Manchester.

Challenge

• The site was in a Conservation Area and adjacent to a historic building of local importance.  There was a concern locally that the proposed building was too big for the area.

• There was a perception locally that the proposal would exacerbate traffic problems in Cheadle.

• The local MP had written to the case officer drawing attention to her constituents’ anxieties regarding design and access issues.

Solution

• Instructed just days before the planning committee date, our client asked us to draft a short briefing letter to committee members setting out the benefits of providing new homes for the elderly in Stockport borough.

• We studied the officer’s report and our client’s Planning Statement and used this information to draft a concise two-page letter, explaining that the proposal would provide much-needed new elderly accommodation in a highly accessible location, bring family homes back onto the open market, reduce the burden on local Adult Social Care and NHS budgets, help to meet a need for Extra Care units in the borough, contribute to the council’s five-year housing land supply, and provide a sustainable alternative to long-term care in council care homes.

• Once agreed with the client the letter was sent by email to planning committee members.  In the same email we sent members a copy of a letter our client had recently received from a local MP, congratulating them on the completion of a similar elderly accommodation scheme in Leeds.  This letter was invaluable in helping to back up our client’s case that the proposals were of a high quality and would make a positive contribution to Cheadle both visually and culturally.

Result

The planning application was consented.

The post Elderly accommodation appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client was seeking to replace a tired shopping precinct in Botley just outside Oxford, providing new retail space, apartments, student rooms, a hotel, new community centre, church and library.

Challenge

A previous application for the site attracted more than 1,000 objections and was unanimously refused at planning committee in 2014.  The group that led the opposition remained active in the community and based much of its campaign on opposition to student accommodation in Botley.  All of Botley’s elected representatives opposed the 2014 scheme.

Solution

• We undertook a comprehensive political and community survey, which concluded that community buy-in was essential to building support for a new application. Our survey showed that political stakeholders would only positively consider the application if a community role in the plan-making process could be demonstrated.

• We designed and implemented a comprehensive programme of community engagement. By emphasising our client’s commitment to meaningful engagement, and showing that the consultation would be transparent, we secured the participation of Botley’s elected representatives and the opposition group.

• Their participation enabled us to deliver a successful consultation programme, which included the setting up of a Community Liaison Group and the holding of series of community workshops. This consultation enabled us to undertake community engagement at each stage of the plan-making process, and to demonstrate how changes to the scheme, including a reduction in student rooms, were the result of consultation feedback.

• The consultation programme concluded with a two-day public exhibition. Feedback from the exhibition showed that a clear majority of respondents welcomed changes to the scheme as a result of the consultation.

• We kept the media updated on the emerging proposals, securing positive coverage of changes to the scheme resulting from the consultation.

• We highlighted the community participation, positive public exhibition feedback and the positive media coverage to the Council leadership.

Result

Vale of White Horse District Council approved the application by 8 votes to 3. At the Planning Committee meeting objectors and Committee members commended the quality of the consultation undertaken.

The post Mixed-use redevelopment appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought to submit a reserved matters application with regard to a 130-home development for land in Chertsey, in the Surrey Borough of Runnymede. The outline application had been consented.

Challenge

The access for the consented outline scheme ran through a residential street. There was a real risk that residents opposed to the scheme because of this access would use the reserved matters application as an opportunity to voice their opposition to councillors on access grounds, potentially derailing the progress of the development.

Solution

• SP Broadway wrote to residents around the site to notify them of the reserved matters application. This letter stressed that the access had been approved and would not be reconsidered. It also highlighted the high quality design of the new homes, and provided SP Broadway’s contact details in case residents had any questions.

• We created and maintained a project website, containing up-to-date information on the reserved matters application. The website address was highlighted in the notification letter to residents, providing them with a source of extra information if they required it.

• We responded to all resident queries in the run-up to the determination of the planning application, ensuring that all issues raised were managed and not directed at councillors.

• We wrote to all Planning Committee members before the determination date, clearly setting out how the reserved matters application conformed to the outline consent given.

Result

The reserved matters application was considered by Runnymede Borough Council Planning Committee. With resident opposition addressed through intensive consultation, and the merits of the scheme established in members’ minds, the Committee approved the application.

The post 130 homes appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought planning permission in a small Buckinghamshire town for the conversion of an out-of-town retail showroom into six apartments.

Challenge

The showroom was on a busy main road and surrounded by residential properties, with attendant concerns about traffic, parking and overlooking.

Solution

• We organised a meeting for our client with one of the local ward members followed by meetings with the occupants or owners of all the properties neighbouring the showroom, to go over the proposals, take note of any concerns raised and make sure the final plans took these concerns into account.

• Once the meetings were completed we prepared a short Statement of Community Involvement for submission with the application, listing the stakeholders we had met and explaining how the designs had changed as a direct result of those meetings.

• On the day the application was submitted to the council we sent copies of the design plans to each of the neighbours, making clear we were happy to meet again to go over any outstanding issues, or discuss over the phone.

• When the council had completed its own consultation on the application and uploaded residents’ comments onto its website, we contacted each of those residents directly to respond to the issues they had raised and ensure they were comfortable with the final plans.

Result

In a delegated decision, South Bucks District Council officers approved our client’s planning application.

The post 6 apartments appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought inclusion in the Tunbridge Wells Local Plan for a greenfield site on the edge of a small town in Kent.

Challenge

Our client faced competition from two other developers which were promoting alternative greenfield sites in the town for development.

Solution

• We organised meetings for our client with the ward members for the town, the Kent County Council division member and the Headmaster of the local secondary school, and assisted with a presentation to the town council: all designed to understand the views of key local stakeholders.

• We drafted and sent a detailed briefing letter to all members of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Local Plan Working Party, explaining why our client’s site was the most appropriate location for new housing and how development there could alleviate flooding problems. This was followed by telephone calls to members to gauge views.

• We assisted the client with their participation in a public exhibition organised by the town council, at which the three rival developers presented their proposals to residents. Using a carefully crafted feedback form we gathered opinions from residents on our client’s proposals and compiled these in a feedback report.

• We then drafted and sent a second briefing letter to all members of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council ahead of the Cabinet’s vote on site allocations, urging support for our client’s site. The Cabinet ultimately voted to support allocations on both our client’s site and one of the competing sites.

Result

• The Tunbridge Wells Local Plan was approved by a Planning Inspector with an allocation for up to 350 houses on our client’s site.

• An application for 375 houses was unanimously approved by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Planning Committee.

The post 350 homes appeared first on SP Broadway.

• Our client sought planning permission for 145 new homes on the edge of Boroughbridge, a town in Harrogate Borough.

Challenge

• The site is located adjacent to a Registered Battlefield, the site of the medieval Battle of Boroughbridge.

• The site is located between Boroughbridge and the village of Milby and concerns about settlement coalescence had been raised.

Solution

• We undertook detailed political research into the views and allegiances of members of the Committee, identifying positive messages around the scheme that were likely to resonate with key members.

• We produced and distributed a five-page briefing letter to all members of Harrogate Borough Council Planning Committee which outlined the key features of the proposal and the community benefits it would deliver, including major footpath enhancements. The letter presented the Registered Battlefield aspect of the application as a positive, describing how the development would protect the northern boundary of the battlefield and fund new visitor facilities. The letter also set out how the green gap between Milby and Boroughbridge would be maintained.

• We followed this briefing letter with courtesy calls to members of the Planning Committee to make sure they had received the letter and to establish whether they had any comments or last-minute questions. We produced a detailed analysis of the responses made by members, providing our client with useful intelligence as they prepared for the Committee.

Result   

Determination was deferred by a month as Planning Committee members requested more information on highways and flooding. The Committee was assured by the extra information provided and the application was approved, with members recognising that the proposals would enhance the Registered Battlefield and preserve the green gap between Boroughbridge and Milby.

The post 145 houses appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought planning permission for up to 200 new homes on the edge of Chard, South Somerset.

Challenge

• Chard Town Council had requested that the development be delayed to align with the emerging Local Plan.

• Claims about the development’s impact on local roads and schools had been reported by local newspapers.

• The member for the site ward, and the members for the two adjacent wards, all sat on the South Somerset District Council Area West Committee which was due to determine the application.

Solution

• We produced and distributed a four-page briefing letter to all members of the Area West Committee which outlined the key features of the proposal and its benefits. These benefits included new affordable homes, the creation of new public open space, and contributions to public services. The letter also presented the scheme as an excellent opportunity to provide a new link road – an issue we knew from political research to be critical in convincing Committee members of the development’s value to Chard’s wider growth plan.

• We followed this briefing letter with courtesy calls to members of the Area West Committee to make sure that they had received the letter and to establish whether they had any comments or last-minute questions. We produced a detailed analysis of the responses made by members, providing our client with useful intelligence as they prepared for the Committee.

Result   

Having secured the planning officer’s recommendation for approval, the scheme was approved by South Somerset District Council Area West Committee. Seven councillors voted in favour of the proposals and two abstained.

The post 200 houses appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought planning permission for 62 new homes on the edge of Headcorn, a village in Maidstone Borough.

Challenge

• The site was located in open countryside, within a Special Landscape Area.

• The Planning Committee included the site ward member, who we understood to be lobbying fellow councillors against the scheme.

Solution

• We undertook detailed political research into the views and allegiances of members of the Committee, identifying positive messages around the scheme that were likely to resonate with key members.

• We produced and distributed a five-page briefing letter to all members of Maidstone Borough Council Planning Committee that outlined the key features of the proposal and its benefits. These benefits included improved road safety, the creation of new public open space and also footpath enhancements. The letter also presented the scheme as an excellent opportunity to provide high-quality new wildlife habitats – an issue we knew from our research to be of particular importance to key members of the Committee.

• We followed the briefing letter with courtesy calls to members of the Planning Committee to make sure that they had received the letter and to establish whether they had any comments or last-minute questions. We produced a detailed analysis of the responses made by members, providing our client with useful intelligence as they prepared for the Committee.

Result

Having secured the planning officer’s recommendation for approval, the scheme was approved by Maidstone Borough Council Planning Committee. Seven councillors voted for the proposal, citing the benefits of the scheme highlighted in the briefing letter, overcoming the votes of the six councillors swayed by the ward member.

The post 62 houses appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought consent to build 300 new homes on greenfield land on the outskirts of Grantham.

Challenge

The site was on greenfield land on the urban edge of Grantham, where concerns had been raised locally about the potential noise impact from the nearby A1 and the use of the site as a wildlife habitat.

Solution

• SP Broadway undertook pre-committee lobbying, drafting and sending a five-page briefing letter to planning committee members. This letter laid out the advantages of the proposed development, emphasising the client’s accordance with the Local Plan, the sustainability of the location and the potential economic benefits to the local area.

• The letter also directly addressed the known grounds of local concern and how these had been taken into account by the client, including an overview of the community consultation undertaken and how the feedback received had been used to inform the final plans. The letter also laid out clearly how the proposals would benefit the community through contributions to local services.

• We then followed the letter with calls to planning committee members in the week prior to the committee, to ensure they had received the letter, to establish whether they had any comments and to answer any last-minute questions.

Result

South Kesteven District Council Planning Committee voted to approve the application.

The post 300 houses appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought planning permission to build 120 new homes on the edge of Colchester in Tendring District.

Challenge

• A high level of interest from members of both Tendring District Council and Colchester Borough Council.

• A greenfield site with sensitive boundaries to ancient woodland and neighbouring residents.

• Political upheaval during the pre-application process owing to the 2015 general election.

Solution

• • Our client instructed SP Broadway to formulate a communications strategy to gain political support and minimise potential opposition for their application. We held meetings with key local members including the chair of planning committee and the leader of the neighbouring local authority, understanding key concerns and areas of agreement.
• • We then worked with adjacent residents to the site at a community liaison meeting, and were able to address individual concerns directly. Following this we arranged a public exhibition, inviting key local stakeholders and residents. Engaging closely with the media, we gained positive coverage about the proposals and the exhibition.
• • Prior to committee, we drafted a comprehensive political briefing brochure outlining the merits of the scheme, including the positive feedback from the consultation.

Result

In spite of the sensitive location and some concerns from local residents, this application obtained only four objections from local residents, and gained the support of the parish council. Following officer recommendation for approval, the proposal was unanimously consented by Tendring District Council Planning Committee. Members of both the administration and opposition commended the engagement undertaken for the application.

The post 120 houses appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client was seeking planning permission to build 292 new homes on the edge of a market town in Braintree District.

Challenge

The site was greenfield and was located outside the development boundary for the town.  An opposition group had secured sustained media coverage of claims that the proposals would strain local services and lead to traffic congestion.

Solution

• Asked by our client to assist in the run-up to the planning committee date, SP Broadway drafted and sent a five-page briefing letter to planning committee members. This made clear that the site could deliver new homes in a sustainable location to help meet Braintree’s housing needs, with development also boosting trade for the market town’s high street businesses. The letter also laid out point-by-point how the proposals would benefit existing residents through the provision of highways improvements, new community space and an extension of the GP surgery.

• We then followed the letter up with courtesy calls to planning committee members in the week of the committee, to make sure they had received the letter, to establish whether they had any comments and to answer any last-minute questions.

Result

Having secured the planning officer’s recommendation for approval, the scheme was approved by 11 votes to 1.

The post 292 houses appeared first on SP Broadway.

A consortium asked SP Broadway to run the community consultation for its plans to build 210 new homes and a care home on the site of a former military hospital in East Dorset.

Challenge

The access route for the planned development would lead onto the already-congested A31, raising concerns amongst residents about increased traffic levels. Additionally, the hospital was located in an environmentally sensitive area with acid grasslands, bats, badgers and reptiles.

Solution

• We first took out a subscription to local newspapers to keep aware of planning and development issues in East Dorset and the views of key stakeholders, circulating relevant articles to the project team in a weekly email.

• We then organised a public exhibition, advertised in local newspapers. The exhibition was attended by 189 residents and stakeholders and 59 filled in a feedback form. Analysis of the forms showed 97% of respondents either supported or did not explicitly oppose the proposals, though there were understandable concerns about traffic and access.

• After the exhibition we set up a consultation website to enable interested residents to access up-to-date and accurate information about the scheme 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Once the proposals had been revised to address concerns we organised a second exhibition, attended by 191 residents and stakeholders. 39 attendees completed feedback forms, with analysis revealing fewer concerns about traffic and access and majority support for proposed ecological protection measures.

• After the second exhibition we drafted a concise three-page briefing letter to send to planning committee members ahead of determination; however this letter was not ultimately sent since feedback from the council was overwhelmingly positive in the run-up to committee.

Result

The proposals were unanimously approved by East Dorset District Council Planning Committee.

The post 210 houses & care home appeared first on SP Broadway.

A national housebuilder instructed SP Broadway to run the community consultation for the development of 66 new homes in the village of Northiam, East Sussex. The proposals included generous open space provision and would meet the village’s housing requirements for the next 20 years.

Challenge

• The development would substantially increase the overall size of the village, where there were already concerns that further housing could not be accommodated and fears the village may become a town.

• Residents immediately adjacent to the site were strongly opposed and concerned about a loss of views and the impact of the new homes on their everyday lives.

Solution

• SP Broadway conducted an in-depth survey of key political and community stakeholders to ensure that a comprehensive engagement programme could take place.

• We met with the parish council, ward councillors, the county councillor, the local conservation society and the local bowls club to brief them on the proposals and listen to their concerns.

• Immediate site neighbours were invited to a meeting with members of the project team, allowing them to raise their specific concerns in advance of the public consultation.

• We organised a public exhibition in the village, attended by over 300 residents. 136 attendees filled in feedback forms, providing useful comments to help our client finalise the detail of the scheme before submission.

Result

A planning application was submitted and approved by Rother District Council Planning Committee.

The post 66 houses appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought planning permission to build 20 new homes on the site of a small rural business park in the Cotswolds.

Communications Challenge

• The site was in the Green Belt and the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

• The new homes were of a highly contemporary design, unusual for a rural setting.

Solution

• Asked to assist in the run-up to the committee date, SP drafted and sent a four-page briefing letter to committee members. This made clear that most of the existing buildings were no longer suitable for business use and the new homes, though contemporary, were specifically designed to minimise their impact on the landscape. It was also possible to argue that the replacement of low-quality buildings and significant new tree planting represented an enhancement of the scenic beauty of the AONB, and improved the openness of the Green Belt.

• We then followed the letter up with courtesy calls to planning committee members in the week of the committee, to make sure they had received the letter, to establish whether they had any comments and to answer any last-minute questions.

Result

Having secured the planning officer’s recommendation for approval, the scheme was unanimously approved.

The post 20 houses appeared first on SP Broadway.

A luxury housebuilder sought planning consent to redevelop a former university campus north of Chalfont St Peter – including a listed 18th century manor house and landscaped grounds – providing 309 new homes and associated facilities.

Challenge

Though previously-developed land and allocated in the Chiltern Core Strategy, the site was in the Green Belt and an AONB, and accessble only via narrow country lanes. We had to make clear the local benefits of the development and re-assure stakeholders that the new homes would not generate unacceptable levels of traffic.

Solution

• SP Broadway organised meetings with the ward member for the site, the county council division member and the parish council, empasising the proposed use of a courtesy minibus system to mitigate traffic impact as well as new facilities for the Chiltern Open Air Museum and Amersham & Chalfont Hockey Club, both located on-site.

• Given the site’s location close to parish, ward and division boundaries we expanded our briefing programme to include the neighbouring parish council and division member. We also met with Cheryl Gillan MP and a local community group.

• Having worked on another project in Chiltern District we knew it was essential to meet with the Chairman of the Planning Committee to explain the proposals and answer his questions before the committee met.

• In the week before determination we sent a crisp, concise briefing letter to every member of the planning committee, outlining the key features of the proposals and explaining the community benefits. We followed this up with calls to committee members to answer any last-minute questions.

Result

At the committee meeting, members raised concerns about a number of issues, including traffic, sewage and affordable housing. However, the Chairman reassured members on these issues and stressed the point that the site was already allocated for development in the Chiltern Core Strategy. After a lengthy debate, the application was approved by 6 votes to 4.

The post 309 houses & apartments appeared first on SP Broadway.

Newcastle City Council proposed an allocation for new homes on Green Belt land in the village of Throckley as part of the NewcastleGateshead One Core Strategy. The land has been owned by our client since 1735, and all development in Throckley has been the result of gifts of land by our client over the last three centuries.

Challenge

The allocation was opposed by residents whose homes backed onto the land, who had formed a campaign group to fight the inclusion of the site in the Core Strategy. SP Broadway was appointed to help our client keep the site allocated in the Core Strategy.

Solution

• SP Broadway organised a meeting with the Newcastle City Council members for Throckley to understand their views on our client’s site. While they could see the merit of new housing in the area, they were troubled by the amount proposed and felt there were better sites elsewhere.

• We organised a meeting with leading representatives of the campaign group to understand their views on the site. This established that the group was opposed to any sort of housing on our client’s site as it was Green Belt land.

• Given that local council members and residents were less than enthusiastic, we decided to focus on winning over other Newcastle City Council members to the idea of development on our client’s site. Ahead of key cabinet and council votes on the Core Strategy we sent a detailed briefing letter setting out the merits of development on the site and urging its retention in the Core Strategy. Both the cabinet and the full council subsequently voted to submit the Core Strategy to the Planning Inspector with an allocation on our client’s site.

• During the Planning Inspector’s examination of the Core Strategy it became clear that a resource was needed to provide a source of information for residents about our client’s site. We therefore helped to create a new section of our client’s website dedicated to Throckley, setting out clearly the key aspects of the proposed development and promoting the benefits. We also monitored local newspapers and online media to keep our client aware of any public discussion of the site.

Result

The NewcastleGateshead One Core Strategy was adopted by Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council with an allocation for 550 homes on our client’s site.

SP Broadway continued to provide political advice to our client as they submitted an outline planning application for 580 homes on the site. The application was approved by Newcastle City Council Planning Committee by ten votes to one.

The post 550 houses appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought to build 150 homes on a brownfield site on the outskirts of Farnborough, Hampshire.

Challenge

The site crossed the boundary of two planning authorities, Hart District Council and Rushmoor Borough Council. While most of the site and therefore most of the proposed homes were in Hart District, the most sustainable access closest to local facilities was in Rushmoor borough. Most of the ‘gain’ (new homes, council tax receipts) would therefore go to Hart, while most of the ‘pain’ (traffic, pressure on local services) would go to Rushmoor.

Solution

• SP Broadway organised an extensive series of meetings with the relevant ward members on Hart District Council and Rushmoor Borough Council, the relevant division members on Hampshire County Council, and the local town council. None of these stakeholders represented the site as a whole therefore offered hugely differing views on its future.

• Realising that our client had to offer a real benefit to the existing community in Rushmoor borough to unlock support, we organised a series of meetings with the Headmaster and Chair of Governors of the neighbouring primary school. These meetings established that there was a problem with traffic outside the school at drop-off and pick-up times.

• We organised a public exhibition, held at the primary school. A week before this we organised a preview for key stakeholders, inviting all the political stakeholders and headteachers of local schools to see an advance copy of the exhibition boards and ask questions of the project team in a controlled environment.

• Once the application was submitted, we held a series of meetings with the Headteacher of the primary school, to agree the creation of a small car park on our client’s site for school drop-off and pick-up. The Headteacher then wrote to the council to express his view that the application would help with the existing traffic problem. We also met with the Leader of Rushmoor Borough Council and the Rushmoor ward members to update them on these changes.

Result

Hart District Council approved our client’s application. Though recommended for approval by officers, Rushmoor Borough Council refused the application on highways grounds. Our client went to appeal and the refusal was overturned.

The post 150 houses appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought to build 170 apartments on a one-hectare brownfield site in the London suburb of Kew.

Challenge

Two applications by a previous developer to redevelop the site for residential use had failed at planning committee, attracting considerable opposition from ward councillors, surrounding residents’ associations, the local civic society and the Member of Parliament. Our client assumed the application would be rejected at committee but could be consented at appeal.

Solution

• SP Broadway organised a series of meetings with residents’ associations, encouraging them to ‘invest’ in the scheme through regular input into the design process and incorporating some of their suggestions into the plans, including provision of space on-site for a doctor’s surgery.

• We organised meetings with ward members and the MP, after which one ward member spoke in favour of the site in an open public meeting to the Leader of the Council.

• We held two 2-day public exhibitions. This first exhibition outlined the constraints and opportunities of the site and sought residents’ views on a range of design options and potential community uses. The second exhibition outlined our client’s final proposal having taken into consideration feedback received at the first exhibition. Approximately 50% of respondents provided positive comments.

• We used constructive engagement with high level political decision makers to swiftly end the deadlock when major delays in the planning department of London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and TFL threatened a timely planning committee date.

• We drafted a hard hitting pre-committee briefing letter and designed an A4 colour briefing leaflet for key councillors and stakeholders outlining positives of the scheme and detailing the widespread community support; following this we undertook final pre-committee briefings by phone.

Result

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Planning Committee voted unanimously to consent the development. Three of the community groups which had previously opposed development of the site spoke at Planning Committee in support of the application.

The post 170 apartments appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client, a housing association, sought planning consent to develop 70 new homes on a mixed brown field and green field site.

Challenge

The proposed development was highly controversial amongst local residents, with a large number of neighbours objecting to development of the site. Residents were largely opposed to the layout, density and tenure of homes, in addition to transport concerns. Our challenge was ameliorate the concerns of neighbouring residents while building political support for the proposals amongst senior councillors and ward members.

Solution

Appointed post submission, SP Broadway devised a comprehensive communications strategy designed to secure planning consent. This included:

• A meeting with representative residents and ward members to understand community concerns.

• A follow up meeting with representative residents and ward members briefing them on subsequent amendments made to the scheme to address their concerns.

• A briefing meeting with Labour Cabinet Member for Housing to build high level support for new homes, especially affordable homes.

• After gaining Cabinet level support, a briefing meeting with Planning Committee Chair to outline the proposals.

• A detailed briefing letter to Planning Committee members, explaining the scheme, listing the benefits and detailing how specific areas of concern had been addressed, including transport issues.

Result

Plymouth City Council Planning Committee voted 7-6 along party political lines to consent the development. One Labour councillor called the plans “brilliant” while another said “we need to accelerate the development on sites like this.”

The post 70 houses appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought planning consent to demolish & replace two retail buildings in Oxford city centre and renovate a third, creating new prime retail space on the ground and basement floors and 133 student rooms above.

Challenge

The development was in a highly-sensitive location within the Central Conservation Area, in the heart of the historic city and opposite the medieval Carfax Tower. As a consequence the scheme was under intense scrutiny for its impact on the urban fabric, on the medieval street pattern and on city views, particularly from the top of Carfax Tower.

Solution

Appointed in the run-up to the Planning Committee date, SP Broadway devised a comprehensive communications strategy designed to communite the benefits of the development. This included:

• A briefing meeting with the Leader of the Council.

• A presentation to Planning Committee members by the project team.

• A detailed briefing letter to Planning Committee members, explaining the scheme, listing the benefits and addressing specific areas of concern, such as the impact on city views.

• Telephone calls to Planning Committee members in the days before the committee date, to answer any last minute concerns, understand views and gauge the level of likely support.

Result

Oxford City Council West Area Planning Committee voted unanimously to approve the development in principle.

The post Mixed-use city centre scheme appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought to redevelop an existing run-down 1970s residential building in the London Borough of Wandsworth and replace it with new high-quality flats. The scheme sought to enhance the street by reflecting the character of the surrounding houses in the new design.

Challenge

• The redevelopment proposed to increase both the height and size of the building; in an area currently receiving its fair share of applications for new, taller buildings.

• Residents and councillors needed to be reassured that the new building would be an improvement and would not overshadow neighbouring houses.

Solution

• SP Broadway sent a comprehensive briefing to councillors and planning officers outlining the plans and the benefits for the area.

• SP Broadway liaised with key members of the local community and concerned residents to inform them of the proposals and allay fears over the impact of the redevelopment.

• An invitation letter to the public exhibition was sent to nearby residents and councillors, briefing them on the proposals and inviting further discussion.

• A public exhibition was held and feedback forms were provided, allowing attendees to comment on the proposals. Feedback from the exhibition was largely positive; however several residents expressed concern over the height of the buildings. SP Broadway provided a detailed analysis of the feedback to the project team, allowing the team to better understand how the plans needed to evolve to gain community support.

• SP Broadway worked closely with stakeholders, using this close liaison and the feedback gained from the public exhibition to help steer changes to the proposals to better reflect political and community opinion.

• As a result of consultation with stakeholders and the public exhibition a number of changes to the plans were made, including reduction in the height of the building, additional affordable housing provision, increased parking, greater consideration for right to light, agreed transport initiatives, and substantial CIL payments: all of which reflected concerns raised by stakeholders and residents.

• SP Broadway sent briefing letters to stakeholders, detailing the changes and highlighting why they should support the scheme. This included a final briefing letter in the week of the committee’s decision.

Result

• Having gained the planning officers’ recommendation for approval, the scheme was granted planning permission by 6 votes to 2.

• Following a second round of consultation organised by SP Broadway – including additional meetings with residents and a second public exhibition – an application for a rear extension to the new building was submitted to Wandsworth Council and approved.

The post 59 apartments appeared first on SP Broadway.

A national housebuilder was seeking to build 47 homes on a 2-acre site in a leafy Buckinghamshire village in the London commuter belt.

Challenge

The scheme proposed 23.5 houses per hectare in an area where average housing density is 11 houses per hectare, with a mixture of houses and apartment buildings. Both of the ward members were members of the planning committee, and one of them was chairman.

Solution

• We worked with the village community association to organise a drop-in exhibition where residents could view the proposals, speak to the project team and have their say via a feedback form.

• We then organised meetings with the appropriate ward members on the district council, to discuss the exhibition results. The members accepted that 47 homes was a reasonable number, and a win for the community given that the site had previously been earmarked for 100 homes.

• Using this feedback, our client decided to revise its design, reducing the height of one of the apartment buildings and hence the number of dwellings from 47 to 45. In the run-up to the planning committee’s decision, we sent members a detailed briefing letter outlining the changes made to the scheme and the reasons why it deserved their support.

Result

Having secured the planning officer’s recommendation for approval, the scheme was consented by 10 votes to 1.

The post 47 houses & apartments appeared first on SP Broadway.

SP Broadway filled a Neighbourhood Liaison Officer role as part of the planning condition for the redevelopment of Abell House and Cleland House, Westminster SW1 during demolition and construction works.

Challenge

Liaising with a large number (446) of stakeholder residents from neighbouring buildings during the demolition and construction of two residential apartment buildings.

Solution

• Acted as a 24/7 single point of contact for external queries – filtering all resident queries to our client. This single point of contact is advertised on the Abell and Cleland House website.

• Managed the distribution of a weekly e-newsletter to all residents outlining the demolition/construction timetable for the forthcoming week. This advance notice of noise, dust and disruption is designed to keep complaints to a minimum and was well received to date, reducing the volume of telephone calls received by the client.

• Co-ordinated and managed a monthly Community Working Group Meeting (CWG) to provide a Steering Group mechanism for key residents and other interested parties during the demolition and construction process. Agendas were circulated by SP Broadway in advance and Minutes were hosted on the project website.

• Managed a tri-monthly Community Liaison Group (CLG) to provide a liaison mechanism for local residents and other interested parties who were less interested in project detail but still wanted to be kept informed of key project milestones. Agendas were circulated by SP Broadway in advance and Minutes were hosted on the project website.

• Organised and attended additional meetings with residents and stakeholders as particular issues developed.

• Managed key community and project team contact databases.

Result

The development has finished. Residents were kept well-informed and the client was happy.

The post 275 apartments appeared first on SP Broadway.

SP Broadway was instructed by a consortium of housebuilders to undertake political and community consultation for proposals to provide 550 homes, land for a new primary school and other amenities in Billingshurst, West Sussex.

Challenge

Convincing politicians, residents and community representatives of the merits of new development that would enable key improvements to be made to a deteriorating town centre.

Solution

• Briefing meetings were held with county, district and parish councillors informing them of the proposals and ensuring they understood the benefits.

• We held a public exhibition over two days. Results showed a broadly positive approach to the development with 50% stating that they supported the principle of planned development in Billingshurst, which would bring with it a package of community benefits.

• SP Broadway organised three Community Liaison Group (CLG) meetings prior to submitting the planning application. The group kept residents up to date on the proposals and provided a forum for community concerns.

Result

SP Broadway was able to ensure residents, stakeholders and political leaders were aware of the proposals and had a clear understanding of the benefits. We acted as a first point of contact for residents, political, community and media stakeholders and built a solid communication base. The local MP remarked that he thought the consortium’s engagement “very comprehensive”.

Although Horsham District Council rejected the application for 550 homes, a revised application for 475 homes – with an extra £1.72m of community investment in lieu of a 5% reduction in affordable housing – was approved.

The post 550 houses appeared first on SP Broadway.

SP Broadway was asked to provide political and community relations support for a small niche housebuilder to gain an allocation in the emerging Thame Neighbourhood Plan.

Challenge

As one of the first Neighbourhood Plans in the UK, SP Broadway was brought on board to work out where power lay within the process and to establish links with those making the political running. We spent important time in research and gained key information on the key local ‘movers and shakers’ from the MP. It was important to liaise with the key driver of the Neighbourhood Plan, Thame Town Council, who were concerned about a single large development site and who preferred a dispersed approach to new housing.

Solution

• SP Broadway identified a Housing Working Group within the town council, which proved to be the key advisory and delivery mechanism throughout the Neighbourhood Plan process; as well as identifying key political stakeholders and advisers to the town council.

• We met with local residents’ associations to understand their concerns regarding development in specific areas and to highlight the many benefits of an allocation on our site.

• We supported a presentation to Thame Town Council on behalf of the client team.

• We undertook briefings and wrote a series of key letters to inform political and community stakeholders.

Result

Our site was allocated 203 homes in the Referendum, with 2,779 residents in Thame voting in favour of adopting the Neighbourhood Plan.

The post 203 houses appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client was seeking to build 71 homes on 7 acre site to the north of Cam, Gloucestershire, a large working village near the Severn estuary.

Challenge

The site lay outside the defined settlement boundary of Cam, and Stroud District Council claimed that it already had a 5-year supply of housing land.

Solution

• Taking a ‘bottom up’ approach to political consultation, we met first with the appropriate ward members on Cam Parish Council, followed by members of Stroud District Council including the Chairman of the Planning Committee.

• We impressed upon them that the proposed homes, although outside Cam’s settlement boundary, would have little impact on the character of the area, were in a suitable location to integrate with the community, and were a deliverable addition to the housing supply.

Result

Although Stroud District Council Planning Committee rejected the proposal, our client won consent on appeal.

In his ruling, the Planning Inspector agreed that the proposal would cause ‘limited harm to the character and appearance of the area’, was ‘broadly compatible with the…aim of locating development in sustainable locations’, and that Stroud District Council was ‘unable to demonstrate a 5 year supply of housing land’.

The post 71 houses appeared first on SP Broadway.