Our client sought to bring forward proposals for a service area off the A34 at Chilton, Oxfordshire, compromising of a petrol filling station, electric vehicle charging points, parking, retail and a food and drink outlet. The proposed site was ideally located for such a development – a small triangle of farmland cut off by highways upgrades at the Chilton A34 junction, located on a stretch of the A34 with no northbound services for 40 miles.

Challenge

• The site was within the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), and officers were concerned the proposals constituted ‘major development’ in the AONB.

• Additional concerns were raised that the scheme would generate a significant level of increased traffic at the interchange, and poor sightlines on the northbound slip road.

Solution

• We launched a community consultation website outlining the proposals and providing our contact details for residents and stakeholders to direct enquiries and comments.

• We sent out a detailed briefing letter to nearly 800 local residents and businesses, directing them to visit the consultation website and leave feedback, receiving almost 90 positive responses.

• We arranged a series of meetings with stakeholders, including the site ward councillor, the Oxfordshire County Councillor, the Parish Council and neighbouring Parish Council, as well as the Harwell Campus and neighbouring businesses. The ward councillor proved extremely supportive, and agreed to call the application in to Planning Committee.

• Crucially, we organised a series of meetings with the North Wessex Downs AONB Board, which culminated in the Board writing to Vale of White Horse District Council supporting our stance that the proposals did not constitute ‘major development’.

• SP Broadway arranged a meeting with the site’s Member of Parliament, who supported the proposals and wrote to Vale of White Horse District Council urging them to consent the application.

Result

The application went before the first Planning Committee after local elections, where the Conservatives had lost their majority to the Liberal Democrats, who did not share the previous administration’s enthusiasm for the Service Area and refused the application.  An appeal was subsequently submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.

The post Service area appeared first on SP Broadway.

Lidl sought planning permission for a new 20,450 sq. ft food store on a business park site south of Horsham that had already received outline planning permission for business and trade park units. SP Broadway were instructed to organise an online consultation for the Lidl food store ahead of submission of a planning application.

Challenge

The challenge was to communicate to residents and the Parish Council the benefits of the Lidl supermarket and encourage their support as the scheme was being considered by officers and ultimately elected members.

Solution

• We had regularly updated the Parish Council on the build-out progress of the wider business park, and notified parish and ward councillors ahead of our online consultation (due to COVID- 19 restrictions) for the new Lidl food store.
• We launched a consultation website detailing the Lidl proposals and invited feedback from village residents.
• We uploaded a community leaflet onto the consultation website. We received over 337 online feedback forms, 312 responders (93%) supporting the principle of a new Lidl food store as an affordable alternative to other supermarkets that would prevent them having to leave the village to shop and would support a rising population.

Result

SP Broadway gained the support of the Parish Council and the local community with 93% of residents’ comments in favour of a new Lidl food store. With officers content, the planning application was approved by delegated decision.

The post New supermarket 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.

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 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.

SP Broadway was instructed to assist with the final stage of consultation on a proposal to build a new supermarket and petrol station on the edge of the town of Ludlow, Shropshire.

Challenge

Though the planning application was recommended for approval by Shropshire Council officers, the proposal was very controversial locally, opposed by the town council and Chamber of Commerce for its perceived impact on trade in Ludlow town centre and its impact on traffic.

Solution

• Having been informed by the client that the head of the local community centre had been supportive of the proposals at a public exhibition two years previously, we established her identity and telephoned her to understand her views further. The call established that she remained supportive of the supermarket but she had not submitted her views to the council. At our urging she duly wrote a letter expressing her support for the application and submitted it to the council.

• We drafted and sent a briefing letter to all Planning Committee members, stressing how the proposal would create jobs and consumer choice for Ludlow residents, boost the town’s economy by helping to claw-back trade from other towns in the region, and increase business rate revenue for the council.

• At a meeting, the Planning Committee deferred the application, with a view to refusing.

• Following the deferral we created a petition in favour of the proposal, and placed it in the community centre where we knew we had support.

• We drafted and sent a further briefing letter to Planning Committee Members before the second Committee date, highlighting the changes made to the scheme reflecting comments members made at the earlier Committee, and reminding members about the economic benefits and limited impact on the town centre. We also highlighted the petition in support, and how the majority of residents’ expressing a view during the Council’s own consultation supported the revised proposals.

Result

The Planning Committee voted by 5 votes to 4 to approve the revised application.

The post New food store appeared first on SP Broadway.

The Japanese Government sought planning permission for change-of-use of a landmark retail building on Kensington High Street to create a centre for the promotion of Japanese culture, “Japan House”, retaining ground floor retail but converting the first floor to a restaurant and the basement to events space.

Challenge

The area was represented by influential councillors, the Kensington Society and residents’ associations concerned about losing prime retail space on Kensington High Street to other uses with lower footfall. Residents were also concerned about the impact of the restaurant and events space on local amenity, particularly at night.

Solution

• Instructed to establish lines of communication with key stakeholders, we set up a series of meetings with local councillors, residents’ associations, business representatives and the local civic society.

• After initial meetings the Japan House team subsequently revised the proposals and we set up a second series of meetings with stakeholders to guide them through the changes. The team also agreed to draw up a management plan and to meet with residents on a regular basis once the centre was open.

• Though not necessary for a change-of-use application, we compiled a detailed Statement of Community Involvement for submission with the planning application, explaining our consultation with stakeholders and responding to the issues they had raised.

• Once the application was submitted we handled queries from the local residents’ association, clarifying key points contained in the application documents.

• We also provided strategic advice to the Japan House team on their response to queries raised by officers, members, the Kensington Society and residents regarding the detail of the application.

• With the committee date approaching we drafted a short briefing letter setting out the positives of the scheme, which was then sent to planning committee members by the Japanese Ambassador.

Result

RBKC Planning Applications Committee voted unanimously to approve the proposals.

The post Japanese cultural centre 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.

SP Broadway was instructed to assist with the final political stage of consultation on an application to redevelop two garden centres on the edge of South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, providing a new Sainsbury’s store and doctor’s surgery.

Challenge

• The site was a long, thin stretch of land outside the Urban Area, extending into open countryside. Parts of the site were undeveloped, and the site was opposite a Grade II listed cottage.

• Chelmsford City Council had identified a large area of land north of the town for potential residential development in its Local Plan. Our clients’ site formed part of this land, and there was concern the application would be seen as a ‘Trojan Horse’ for further development outside the Urban Area.

Solution

• Our initial research established that South Woodham Ferrers councillors had recently undertaken a survey of residents showing widespread enthusiasm for a new supermarket to rival the existing Asda store, promoting choice and competition.

• We monitored local newspapers and online media to monitor the response to the council’s Local Plan options, and prepared a press release in case the connection was made publicly between our client’s application and the proposed residential development to the north, which could have led to a refusal.

• We drafted and sent a briefing letter to all Planning Committee members, setting out the benefits of the scheme for South Woodham Ferrers residents, followed by calls to members to gauge their attitude to the scheme and answer any questions.

• Planning Committee members chose to defer the application for a month, enabling a site visit to consider the scheme’s impact on 1) landscape 2) highways 3) the listed cottage and 4) the town centre. In the week of the site visit we sent a further briefing letter addressing these four key issues.

Result

The application was approved 10 votes to 1 at the second Planning Committee meeting.

The post New food store 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.

SP Broadway was instructed to undertake a concise programme of political and community consultation to support the redevelopment of an industrial site in Leominster to house a 45,000 sq ft supermarket.

Challenge

There was a competing application to build a food store on another site in Leominster. Both schemes were vehemently opposed by the local Green Party, and both schemes had been refused once before. We had to do two things: demonstrate that there was real local support for a new supermarket in Leominster, and demonstrate that our client’s proposal was preferable to the competing site.

Solution

• As soon as the revised application was submitted we wrote to Herefordshire Council Planning Committee members to let them know the changes made and extol the virtues of our client’s scheme.

• Media monitoring of the local newspaper clearly showed there were Leominster residents who supported a new supermarket. We therefore took out a full-page advertisement in the paper and wrote an open letter to residents, setting out the key benefits of our client’s proposal and urging supporters to contact the council and make their voices heard.

• We also made a presentation to Leominster Town Council on behalf of our client. Though it had recommended refusal of the initial application and had a substantial Green Party contingent, the town council voted to support our client’s revised proposal. It also voted to refuse the competing proposal, having supported it the first time around.

• In the week before the committee met we drafted and sent a hard-hitting briefing letter to all Herefordshire Council Planning Committee members, demonstrating the advantages of our client’s site over the competing proposal and highlighting the support of Leominster Town Council and residents.

Result

Both schemes were decided at the same meeting of Herefordshire Council Planning Committee. The competing proposal was refused unanimously, while our client’s proposal was refused by the narrow margin of 10 votes to 7. We succeeded in helping to knock the competing proposal out of contention and demonstrate real support for the benefit of our client, which was encouraged enough to consider an appeal.

The post New food store appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought to enhance the historic Greenwich Market – within the Greenwich Town Centre Conservation Area and the Greenwich World Heritage Site – by bringing forward plans for a new market roof, refurbishing existing buildings and creating a new food court and area of public open space.

Challenge

A previous application for a comprehensive regeneration of the market had proved very unpopular. It was therefore important to distance the new plans for market enhancements from the previous scheme, and to better understand community views.

Solution

• SP Broadway set up meetings with the local London Assembly Member and Member of Parliament.

• We organised a public exhibition over two days.

• Exhibition feedback established that 89% of respondents supported the market enhancements, a statistic we included in a Statement of Community Involvement submitted with the planning application.

• Once the application was submitted we organised a second exhibition over three days, aimed specifically at market traders & retailers. During the exhibition a petition in favour of the market enhancements was signed by 185 people.

• Prior to planning committee we met the two principal local newspapers, to explain that the petition demonstrated widespread support among traders & retailers. Articles subsequently appeared in both papers in the week before the planning committee, highlighting the support in the petition.

Result

The market enhancements were unanimously approved by Royal Borough of Greenwich Planning Board.

The post Historic market regeneration appeared first on SP Broadway.

SP Broadway was asked by two pension funds to provide political, community and media relations support to secure planning permission to increase the retail footprint of their out-of-town shopping centre in Medway, Kent by 21,500 sq ft in 2010 and again in 2012/13 for a similar amount of A3 space.

Communications Challenge

The communications challenge posed problems from a community perspective: the scheme saw a decrease in on-site parking in a very residential neighbourhood. Political complications were added through the ward councillor also being Council Leader, and his wife chairing the Planning Committee: clearly without their joint support we would struggle.

Solution

• SP Broadway briefed the local residents’ association and key political stakeholders to understand the level of community support and identify key issues of concern.

• A public exhibition was held which attracted 1, 576 members of the public over two days. SP Broadway analysed 118 feedback forms, and established 92% support.

• We used residents’ feedback to refine the scheme and turn constructive criticism into positive support, organising a pre-committee briefing to members in association with council officers.

Result

After successful pre-committee briefings, including a meeting with the Ward Councillor/ Council Leader, the first scheme was consented. After further political briefings, a subsequent planning application for A3 use was consented by 13 votes to 1.

The post Shopping centre extension appeared first on SP Broadway.

SP Broadway was instructed by a food-led commercial development company to undertake a concise programme of political and community consultation to support the redevelopment of a site on the outskirts of Petersfield to house a 40,000 sq ft supermarket, along with a relocation of the existing fencing factory (and jobs) to an out-of-town location.

Challenge

Set within a built-up residential area, and with Waitrose already established in the town centre, concern was raised among residents and politicians over the negative impact the change-of-use might have on residents in neighbouring streets.

Solution

• SP Broadway prepared a Political and Community Stakeholder Survey identifying the political makeup of Petersfield and East Hampshire, which enabled us to devise a political and community engagement strategy to understand the level of community support and key issues of concern.

• Applying a ‘bottom-up’ approach, we held a series of one-to-one meetings with key political and community stakeholders at town, district, county and parliamentary level to understand their views.

• We hosted a two-day public exhibition, with over 300 people attending and 164 filling in feedback forms.

• 76.2% of people supported the principle of the factory moving to secure its future and protect local jobs. This statistic was vital in gaining political and community support.

Result

Across-the-board stakeholder communications – meetings with residents, political briefings, the public exhibition and liaison with newspaper editors – established widespread support for the factory’s move to new purpose-built premises,’opening up’ a retail opportunity in the area.

The post New food store appeared first on SP Broadway.