Planning

DJA has an experienced Planning team which, as well as providing specialist Planning Strategy advice to its clients, also frequently acts as lead consultant/project manager. Our team draws from a variety of different professional backgrounds including Chartered Town Planners and Legal Planners including commercial and ex-local government professionals. This varied background creates a strong base used to deliver proportionate, well informed, and balanced advice.

As experienced Project Managers, we are able to build teams drawing from our own experienced professionals, other specialist consultancies and our client's in-house expertise. We can realise development opportunities from inception to completion.

Our high level of expertise in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Strategic Environmental Planning, Energy, Residential, Commercial & Leisure and Brownfield development has required us to engage a variety of governmental and non-governmental bodies both in the UK and abroad. Our senior staff members are experienced expert witnesses at planning appeals and inquiries.

As well as our significant Minerals & Waste expertise, our main areas of work involve Residential, Commercial and Leisure.

Residential

We have an experienced planning team that specialises in site promotion and development management, with a strong emphasis on the residential sector.

At the initial project stage, we provide planning advice and detailed appraisals where necessary. We pride ourselves in giving strong independent, realistic and pragmatic advice with regard to a variety of proposed development sites.

Our work involves the promotion of sites through emerging local and neighbourhood plans, including appearance at examination. We also take on responsibility for general development management with regard to the submission and coordination of pre-application consultations; Planning, Reserved Matters and Prior Approval applications; and Planning Appeals, including acting as an expert witness. We also provide advice on housing land supply as well as more general advice on Permitted Development Rights and Permissions in Principle.

Over the years, we have been involved in the promotion of a variety of sites, including in the green belt.

Examples of our work in this sector can be found here.

Commercial and Leisure

DJA have also worked on a variety of commercial and leisure-related projects, often through our existing minerals and residential clients. This has included achieving planning permission for the following:

Office facilities associated with existing mineral operations
Retail centres associated with large urban extensions
Tourism facilities on former quarry sites.

We have also achieved planning permission for the change of use of existing buildings to commercial uses and have obtained Certificates of Lawfulness on a number of existing sites/premises to establish their lawful use.

Examples of our work in this sector can be found here.