Our Services
Objecting to Planning Applications
Perhaps your neighbour's plans for a double storey extension will negatively impact on how you enjoy your property? or your local pub is under threat of being turned into a block of flats? Maybe even an oil and gas operator is wanting to drill in your area and you feel powerless to stop it? As a local resident, you have a right to object to any such application.
That said, any objection letter failing to reference relevant 'material considerations' is unlikely to be given proper consideration by your local council - wasting your time and effort.
We can write bespoke letters of objection to suit your needs, factoring in relevant amenity, design, heritage, noise, landscape/visual, as well as national policy (in addition to the local plan policies) to ensure your concerns are properly considered in the planning balance by planning officers and committee members.
Planning Application: pre-app, submission and project management
The type of application submission required by your local council for it to be deemed 'valid' and duly considered depends on a range of factors, including what you want permission for, your council's local requirements and how it accords with policy.
MAARS Planning can assemble, submit and project-manage your planning application for a wide range of development types. We also offer bespoke pre-app service for more complicated developments, seeking out red lines with councils early on, which can save you time and money.
Please contact the office for a tailored fee proposal.
Planning Appeals
While your application may be refused by the council, ultimately, the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) has the power to overrule a planning authority's original decision if they believe errors have been made.
We also offer a planning appeals service for when your application has been refused.
We can draft your appeal statement, together with supporting documentation and submit directly to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS). PINS will then decide the means by which they will consider your appeal (e.g. written reps, hearing or Public Inquiry), assign a Planing Inspector and provide a time-frame for the appeal to take place.
If third party specialist input is needed (i.e. outside of our remit of expertise), we will also highlight this requirement from the outset.
Site Review and pre-application Screening
Our site screening service highlights key environmental and policy constraints your local council is likely to consider when determining the suitability of a future planning for X or Y location. The service considers geographical, local policy, national and local designations heritage, landscape, amenity, biodiversity and other environmental considerations that could impact on final development type, scale and/ or design.
Our assessment cannot provide you with a guarantee as to whether planning consent would be successful, however it is useful in suggesting whether your proposed development type is more or less suited to a particular location (based on considerations above).
We can also request an EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) Screening Opinion from your local planning authority or (where required) a Screening Direction request direct from the SoS to challenge whether your proposal would require submission of an Environmental Statement.
Our Other planning services include:
- Responding to local plan evidence base consultations;
- Enforcement Notice Appeals;
- Site promotion in emerging local plans;
- Discharge of condition;
- EIA Screening (via Secretary of State)