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The Planning
Planning Issues Ltd is a subsidiary Company of Churchill Retirement (Group) and is responsible for the planning and design function of the Company. The Company consists of Chartered Town Planners, Affordable Housing experts, RIBA Qualified Architects and Architectural Technicians.
Planning Issues is involved right from the start of the land buying process. The planning and design teams work closely with the land teams, in thoroughly researching the land buying process at a very early stage. This ensures that Churchill Retirement Living is in the best possible position to secure planning permission for the sites it purchases. The track record of Planning Issues is extremely good and the majority of planning applications gain permission at first application. The Town Planners are highly experienced in both Local Government and the private sector and have a wealth of experience in sheltered housing for the elderly. In addition to this, the Company has a proven track record of achieving excellent results at appeal.
To ensure that the best possible case is put forward at appeal, the Company uses the services of established and reputable national legal firms with considerable expertise in planning applications and appeals. Counsel for Appeals is provided by some of the country's leading barristers in the planning field.
The most frequent issues arising during the planning process are affordable housing provision and the impact on the character of the area – the developments Churchill Retirement Living proposes are generally perceived to be larger than others in the area. However, with the experience and expertise of Planning Issues' excellent planning and design teams, the Company has gained a reputation for good design and construction in many sensitive locations.
Our in-house experts at Planning Issues have a proven track record of promptly finding the best possible provision of affordable housing, an increasingly prominent feature of any planning consent, which demands innovation from our team.
On the whole, Planning Issues aims to achieve a co-operative approach when dealing with Planning Officers and Committees, and so Local Authorities often welcome the approach taken as an attractive and proactive alternative to Churchill Retirement Living’s major competitors.
Commenting on our proposal at Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham the Planning Inspector stated:
"Drawing together my findings I consider that the trees on the site are its dominant visual feature and this would remain the case with the proposed development. Parts of the proposed building would be visible behind these trees particularly in the winter but this is to be expected in a suburban area of this type. I am satisfied that the mass, height, scale and design of the proposed building would respect the character and appearance of the surrounding area and would not have an adverse effect on the quality of the built environment. ...."
Extract from Planning Appeal Decision by Planning Inspector R J Yuille MSc Dip TP MRTPI -Appeal Allowed 2nd July 2007
Planning Issues has developed considerable experience in presenting economic viability cases to reduce or remove financial contributions. We are currently renegotiating previously agreed affordable housing contributions and have achieved no affordable housing contributions on a number of recent resubmissions. In September 2009 Southampton City Council agreed to reduce a contribution of £440,000 in respect of a site at Bitterne to zero. In October 2009 Wyre Forest District Council agreed to reduce a contribution of £224,000 to zero in respect of a site at Stourport and the Planning Officer stated in his report,
“It is clear that the financial appraisal as submitted by the Applicants stands up to scrutiny. The advice offered in respect of a ‘claw back’ position has been fully investigated and negotiated with the developer and it has been agreed that a nil contribution for affordable housing can be agreed with a caveat built into the S.106 agreement ensuring the shell and core of the building is built within 24 months, with failure to achieve this resulting in the further submission of a viability appraisal, if at that point it then shows a contribution could be made, the contribution payable would be up to £224,000, the previously agreed sum. This ensures that if the developers wish to build the scheme based on the current financial appraisal that it is constructed during the current financial climate and that they do not ‘land bank’ to construct at a later date when values are improved. This provides two stands of certainty for the Local Planning Authority, one that if it is not built and land values rise contributions are still payable and two that the site will not be commenced without a purposeful effort to complete. On this basis, and having consulted with the Housing Services Manager, I am fully persuaded that the affordable housing off site contributions have been fully taken into account and addressed in light of the current economic climate.
Housing Services Manager – I am satisfied with the negotiated position in respect of affordable housing contributions, especially in view of the financial viability assessment that has been submitted and verified by the Council’s Affordable Housing Consultant.”
Extract from Wyre Forest District Council Planning Committee Report 13 October 2009
Planning Issues is keen to engage with local authorities on the very different issues of providing schemes for elderly residents and meeting a key population need. Principles such as density, car parking and affordable housing provision are very different with retirement schemes. We wish to ensure that Councillors and Planning and Housing Officers are fully aware of the specialist nature of sheltered housing compared to other types of housing.
If you would like to discuss our approach to planning in more detail contact Andrew Burgess, Managing Director of Planning Issues, at andrew.burgess@planningissues.co.uk or 01425 462100.
