We have been the appointed planning consultant on a wide range of planning projects on behalf of our clients over the years and obtained planning permission for many different types of development.

Barn Conversions

 

If you appoint us as your planning consultant for your Barn Conversion, we can arrange an inclusive service including initial site assessments, architectural drawings and all necessary surveys to bring your Barn Conversion into reality. 

Land Development

 

Being a Chartered Town Planning Consultant, assessing the feasibilty of land development is one of our key functions.

 

If you have spare land available, we can carry out and land development appraisal to assess its suitablity and development potential.

 

If you have already begun the process of trying to obtain planning permission but have run into difficulities contact us to see how we can assist.

 

For example, in West Lancashire we have recently won a planning appeal for residential development of the car park of a Public House.

Green Belt

 

In Lancashire a large proportion of the county is designated as Green Belt land.

 

Whilst this does restrict development it does not totally preclude it.

 

Our experience as planning consultants in this area can assist you, whether you are wishing to undertake a small residential extension or some other more substantial form of development.

Conservation Areas

 

Conservation Area Consent applications give rise to their own specific additional complications.

 

Development in Conservation Areas is more strictly controlled than elsewhere to ensure that the main features of the area are conserved and that new development is sympathetic in character.

 

As a result only detailed planning applications and not outline applications will normally be considered for new development in Conservation Areas.

Listed Buildings

 

Any works, other than a like for like repair, require an application for Listed Building consent in addition to any required planning application.

 

Our experience and expertise in this field including our key involvement in an award winning scheme can help you with your project.

Rural and Equestrian

 

In addition to more general rural developments we can assist in the removal an agricultural occupancy condition.

 

If you require a stable block or other equestrian feature or have built something without planning permission and need to apply for retrospective planning permission we can help.

Planning Policies of the Lancashire Council's part 2.

 

Central Lancashire Core Strategy

 

The Adopted Core Strategy for Central Lancashire sets out

the Central Lancashire authorities’ spatial planning proposals for the combined area of Preston, South Ribble and Chorley.

 

Pendle

 

In Pendle the Council has indicated that three Development Plan Documents (DPDs) will make up the Local Plan for the Borough of Pendle.

1) Pendle Core Strategy - Adopted December 2015

2) Pendle Site Allocations and Development Policies which also includes detailed planning policies, which help to deliver the strategic objectives established in the Pendle Core Strategy.

3) Bradley Area Action Plan - this provides detailed planning guidance to promote development that assists in the regeneration of the inner urban ward of Bradley in Nelson - Adopted June 2011.

 

Thereare also a number of area specific 'neighbourhood plans' covering Barrowford, Colne, Kelbrook and Sough and Trawden Forest.

 

Preston

 

Preston Local Plan - The Preston Local Plan applies the principles and policies of the Central Lancashire Core Strategy to identify where in Preston all the new housing, employment, retail, leisure and open space will go in the Preston and Fulwood areas. It also contains development management policies to help guide Preston council's decisions on planning applications in Preston and Fulwood.

 

The Preston Local Plan was adopted on the 2 July 2015. The Preston Local Plan covers the whole of the Preston and Fulwood areas.

 

Together with the Central Lancashire Core Strategy adopted July 2012, the Preston Local Plan forms the development plan for all parts of the City of Preston excluding the City Centre (which is covered by the City Centre Area Action Plan).

 

Preston City Centre Plan: An Area Action Plan to 2026

 

The Adopted City Centre Plan is an Area Action Plan, and sits alongside the Preston Local Plan (Site Allocations).

 

Preston City Centre is the main retail and service centre in Central Lancashire, and is ranked first in the Lancashire Sub-region for non-food shopping.

 

Preston is a centre for commercial and administrative activity and is home to a major university. It has a railway station situated on the West Coast Main Line offering excellent commuter links locally and nationally.

 

The Preston City Centre Area Action Plan

 

The City Centre Plan was adopted by Preston City Council on 30 June 2016.

 

Preston's Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) contain further guidance expanding on policies in the Core Strategy and the Preston Local Plan. 

 

Various Central Lancashire SPDs apply in Preston, these include: • Affordable Housing

• Controlling re-use of Employment Premises

• Rural Development

• Design

• Open Space and Playing Pitch

• Biodiversity and Nature Conservation 

 

The following local SPD also specifically applies in the Preston area:

• Residential Extensions and Alterations

 

Ribble Valley

 

The Ribble Valley Core Strategy was adopted by Ribble Valley Council on 16 December 2014 and now forms part of the statutory Development Plan for the Borough of Ribble Valley.

 

Clitheroe, Longridge & Whalley

 

The Borough of Ribble Valley contains 3 key retail and service centres serving the local community and the surrounding settlements within Ribble Valley with a total population of approximately 59,000, the catchment areas to these destinations in the wider region are limited by the catchments of the regional centres in neighbouring districts such as Blackburn and Preston predominantly.

 

There are a 22 Conservation Areas in the Ribble Valley area which add further restrictions to 'normal' development control policies, these are:

Bolton-by-Bowland, Chatburn, Chipping, Clitheroe, Downham, Gisburn, Grindleton, Hurst Green, Longridge, St Lawrence's Church (Longridge), Newtown (Longridge), Newton, Pendleton, Ribchester, Sabden, Sawley, Slaidburn, Waddington, Whalley, Wiswell, Worston and Kirk Mill.

 

Rossendale

 

The Rossendale Local Plan Part 1: Core Strategy DPD was adopted 8th November 2011.

The Rossendale Core Strategy is the first part of Rossendale’s new Local Plan which sets out the overall vision and development strategy for Rossendale up to 2026. It identifies the general areas where development will take place, and how much there will be.

 

The Rossendale Core Strategy replaces the 1995 Rossendale Local Plan except for certain policies that were retained.

 

Proposals for a replacement Rossendale Local Plan are underway. In accordance with the Local Planning Regulations, Rossendale Borough Council submitted the Rossendale Local Plan 2019-2034 to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government for examination on 25 March 2019. 

 

Rossendale Local Plan update. 

 

The Rossendale Local Plan 2019 - 2036 was adopted by Rossendale Council on the 15th December 2021 and has replaced the Rossendale Core Strategy (2011 - 2026) referred to above.

 

Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) and other guidance

 

Rossendale have several SPD's which provide additional policy information, these include:

 

• Alterations and extensions to residential properties

• Conversion and re-use of buildings in the countryside

• Open Space and play equipment contributions

• Shopfront design guide

 

Rossendale have also produced an Interim Policy Statement (IPS) with regard to saved policy DC.1 of the adopted Rossendale District Local Plan and provides additional guidance on the development of hot food takeaways. It explains the Council's overall approach to hot food takeaway development.

 

South Ribble

 

In addition to the Central Lancashire Core Strategy DPD 2012 South Ribble have the South Ribble Local Plan (Adopted July 2015).

 

It covers the South Ribble towns and areas of Leyland, Lostock Hall, Bamber Bridge, Walton-le-Dale, Fleetwood, Garstang, Poulton-le-Fylde, Thornton-Cleveleys, Carleton, Cuerdale, Farington, Hutton, Little Hoole, Longton, Much Hoole, Penwortham and Samlesbury.

 

South Ribble have also adopted various Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) which contain further guidance expanding on policies in the Core Strategy and the South Ribble Local Plan. These include:

• Affordable Housing (Central Lancashire) (2012)

• Design Guide (Central Lancashire) (2012)

• Rural Development (Central Lancashire) (2012)

• Controlling Re-Use of Employment Premises (Central Lancashire) (2012)

• Open Space and Playing Pitch (Central Lancashire) (2013)

• Open Space and Playing Pitch financial contribution schedule

• Residential Extensions - (South Ribble) (2013)

• Renewable and Low Carbon Energy  - (South Ribble) (2014)

• Biodiversity and Nature Conservation - (Central Lancashire) (2015)

 

West Lancashire

 

West Lancashire's current development plan is the West Lancashire Local Plan 2012-2027, adopted in October 2013.

 

The West Lancashire local plan covers diverse areas such as Skelmersdale ‘new town', the historic market town of Ormskirk, and other areas such as Bickerstaff, Burscough, Downholland, Great Altcar, Halsall, Haskayne, Lathom, Newburgh, Ormskirk, Parbold, Scarisbrick, Tarleton, Hesketh Bank, Banks, Mere Brow, Upholland, Rufford and Wrightington.

 

A replacement West Lancashire Local Plan was under development, however West Lancashire Council's latest update on this states. "The Local Plan Review has been ceased and the preparation of a new 15-year Local Plan will get underway in the coming months. Work on a review of the Local Plan started in 2016. In September 2019, the Council's Cabinet made the decision to cease work on the Local Plan Review (LPR) to give the authority more time to consider the best proposals for the future of West Lancashire".

 

Article 4 - HMOs - An Article 4 Direction is a legal tool that gives the Council special control over development.

 

Houses of Multiple Occupation

In December 2011, West Lancashire introduced an Article 4 Direction to control changes of use from dwellings to Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in Ormskirk, parts of Aughton and Westhead. As a result, planning permission is required to change from a dwelling to an HMO in these areas.

The Article 4 Direction works alongside Local Plan policy RS3: Provision of Student Accommodation.  Policy RS3 limits the proportion of HMOs in the different streets within the Article 4 area, usually to 5%.

 

Wyre

 

On the 28 February 2019 Wyre Council adopted Wyre's local plan 2011–2031 (the local plan).

 

The Wyre local plan covers the whole of the borough for the period 2011-2031. It provides the statutory planning framework for non-minerals and waste matters. It replaces the saved policies of the 1999 Wyre Local Plan and the Fleetwood-Thornton Area Action Plan 2009.

 

Alongside Wyre's adopted local plan, the development plan for Wyre also comprises the Lancashire Minerals and Waste Development Framework produced by Lancashire County Council.

 

Supplementary Planning Guidance

Wyre Council, together with Fylde Borough Council and Blackpool Council, have produced a joint Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for House Extensions.

In addtion to the above core planning policies Local Planning Authorities in Lancashire also produce a wide range of Supplementary Planning Documents which will also need to be considered in relation to any planning application or planning appeal.

We provide professional town planning consultancy services in all 14 Local Authority Council Areas within Lancashire.

 

Planning Consultant - Blackburn with Darwen

Planning Consultant - Blackpool

Planning Consultant - Burnley

Planning Consultant - Chorley

Planning Consultant - Fylde

Planning Consultant - Hyndburn

Planning Consultant - Lancaster

Planning Consultant - Pendle

Planning Consultant - Preston

Planning Consultant - Ribble Valley

Planning Consultant - Rossendale

Planning Consultant - South Ribble

Planning Consultant - West Lancashire

Planning Consultant - Wyre

 

plus Lancashire County Council area regarding County planning matters.