A team you can trust

Plainview Planning is an independent consultancy that has supported clients across England since 2008. We believe good planning starts with listening, and we take pride in offering clear, supportive advice. From homeowners and landowners to developers, farmers, and businesses, we think strategically to unlock site potential, achieve development goals, and build trusted relationships that last beyond each project.

Meet our team

Royal Town Planning Institute Accredited
Plainview Plannging Team

The numbers

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Local authority areas worked in

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Successful planning applications

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Years of collective planning experience

Stunning new 600sqm home approved in the Cotswolds National Landscape 

A phased strategy and design-led approach secured approval for a landmark countryside home in the Cotswolds AONB (now Cotswolds National Landscape).

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Planning approved for new visitor facilites at an RSPB wetlands reserve

Balancing Green Belt policy and ecology considerations to deliver sustainable visitor facilities for a vital wetlands reserve.

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Innovative eco-development approved in the Green Belt, North Somerset 

Exemplar eco-development approved in the Green Belt. This project demonstrates how sensitive, sustainable development can succeed despite restrictive planning policy and heritage constraints.

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Sensitive restoration and extension of a Grade II* listed home in Cheltenham

Preserving & enhancing a Grade II* listed lodge in a challenging site context, through careful planning and design.

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Change of use from pub to 31-Bed Hotel, London 

Transforming a derelict pub into a thriving hotel near London City Airport

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Plainview, you’re absolute diamonds! Thank you so much, I am so, so grateful for your help. I definitely plan to return when the time comes for another application! Thank you so much again.

Nina, North Cotswolds

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Out of all the planning consultancies we approached for assistance, you were the most clued up.

Mr. Stanhope, Staffordshire

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Many thanks for all your help with our application! We are very grateful and pleased with all the work you have put in. We will of course approach you again and would happily recommend you to friends and colleagues.

Mr Daulatzai, London

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Just wanted to thank you all for your hard work. You really were first class and without your expertise I’m sure we would have never won the appeal. I will certainly be recommending you.

Mark and Jon Hall, Essex

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Thank you so much for your faultless work in helping us get planning permission. You have been amazing, and we will always recommend you to others.

Mrs Faithful, East Hampshire

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You successfully helped us to secure planning early last year. Your input was the turning point for the whole project, for which I am incredibly grateful.

Poppy Construction, Gloucestershire

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Thank you all for all that you did to achieve the planning permission. It is great that your experience and hard work - and indeed our nerves! - should be so rewarded. Onward and upward!

Mr & Mrs Colquhoun, Gloucestershire

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Throughout the entire application process everybody involved from the Plainview Planning team provided me with the very highest levels of courtesy, patience and above all professionalism. The positive outcome of this application clearly shows your business formula works. Once again thank you for taking on this application and getting the desired result.

Disdale Gordon, D and G LTD London

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Last year there were four applications to Horsham Planning Department. Each one was specific and required attention to detail to secure planning approval. I was very pleased when each application was 'approved' without too much discussion. This was achieved through the dedicated work of your Plainview Planning Experts, and I would like to thank them for their hard work and determination. I would have no hesitation in recommending your company to my friends and family.

Mr Hallworth, Sussex

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We received great initial advice and communication on a planning issue that could have gone either way. Whilst being honest and realistic of our chances, together we agreed a strategy for appealing the decision which eventually resulted in an appeal to the Secretary of State. I am pleased to say that we have now finally achieved approval and could not have done it without their advice and professionalism. We would recommend Plainview Planning without hesitation

Mr& Mrs Boyce, Essex

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I have to say, from day one, I knew you would be instrumental to the whole venture succeeding - and I wasn't wrong. You have dealt with it all with gold standard professionalism, and I cannot thank you enough.

Mrs Young, East Yorkshire

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Thank you for making our dream come true! For almost 35 years, my wife and I had been trying to obtain planning permission to build our family home. After numerous refusals, we almost gave up hope but were recommended Plainview Planning. It was an absolute pleasure working with the team, who were professional, knowledgeable and effective throughout the process. I would highly recommend Plainview Planning to anyone who needs expert planning advice and guidance.

Mr Tann, Essex

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I would like to thank you for all your help. The quality of the application was outstanding and I wouldn't hesitate to use or recommend you in the future.

Mr Ganpatsingh, Surrey

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Thank you so much for all your help!

Anytime Fitness, Camden

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I cannot recommend the Planview Planning team enough. They have supported us through the highs and lows of the process with compassion and professionalism. They are incredibly knowledgeable and have insights into the local area and process, are consummate professionals and above all are genuinely good, nice people. If you are reading this and need support / advice do not look any further. Thank you all for everything.

Mrs. Seymour, Essex

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Having recently been granted planning permission for a Paragraph 79 in West Sussex it has been no mean feat! From the outset we were impressed by their positivity and reassurance that if we play the long game we would get there in the end. This has been proven to be true! They were as determined as we were to get the planning passed. We can't thank you enough.

Mr & Mrs Perryman, West Sussex

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Plainview Planning made a realistic appraisal of a very complicated planning history of our annex. From the outset, our consultant clearly had good knowledge and skills to prepare the planning statement. Realistic but supportive throughout and made a stressful application easier for us. Successful outcome very much due to our consultant.

Mr & Mrs Cooper, East Sussex

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I just wanted to say that I have been delighted with the professional attentive service that I have received from Plainview Planning since my association with them first started at the end of 2018.

Mrs Symons, Essex

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Thanks for the great service and support, you made the whole process very straightforward.

Mr Barrett, Essex

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On behalf of PKL Group and our client, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the team at Plainview Planning for undertaking such a sterling job in obtaining planning permission on what has been an incredibly complex and sensitive project. We would have absolutely no hesitation in returning to Plainview Planning for future outsourced planning support and I would equally have no hesitation in recommending their service to others.

PKL Group Ltd, Cheshire

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Popular planning questions

Here you'll find popular questions asked by our clients. Can't find the answer to your planning question? Click below to contact us.

Contact us

01242 501003

  • Fundamentally it comes down to what you are seeking to do in planning terms and how best to go about achieving your development aims.  This will dictate what type of application is best for you to submit for your particular project.

    In general terms however, a householder application should take up to 8 weeks for determination, once submitted and validated by a local planning authority.  A full planning application usually takes up to 13 weeks for determination, once submitted and validated by a local planning authority.  Depending on the scope of the project, you will also need to allow time for the preparation of the application.

    This may include a site appraisal, pulling together a project team, pre-application engagement, political engagement, preparation of supporting documentation and review of the submission pack. All of which our team of planning experts can assist you with.  Read more here.

  • If you have been refused planning permission, there is a right of appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.  We never appeal without first ensuring that all other options have been exhausted. Sometimes additional negotiation with your local council is all that is required.

    However, sometimes there is an in-principle objection and appeal is the only way forward. There are three different appeal routes and we can help you choose the best planning appeal route.

    Our access to case law and appeal precedents, along with our own previous experience, will help to construct a robust and persuasive appeal. Find out more here.

  • A settlement boundary separates the built-up area from the surrounding countryside. It is normally established as part of a Local Plan and can be found in the Proposals Map.  A local plan sets the policy for planning and development across a district or borough.  Generally speaking it supports development inside the settlement boundary and seeks to resist development outside this line.  However, securing planning permission for developments outside the settlement boundary isn’t impossible and we have had many successes for our clients over the years.  You may find this article of use as a starting point.

  • There are several key considerations to take into account when looking for a plot of land for potential development. These include – the planning history of the site; any relevant policy designations; the context of the site; proximity to transport links and local amenities; your attitude to risk. 

    Securing planning permission is all about balance – our team of planning experts work hard to tip that planning balance in your favour.  You may find a development appraisal a useful first step – read more here.

  • The name of our practice ‘Plainview’, stems from our appreciation that for most people, the planning system is complex and often difficult to navigate. Our goal has always been to explain to our clients, in plain English, clearly and succinctly, how the planning system works and the process for navigating the system. A plain view for moving forward.  The challenge is that there are so many variables in planning and the decision to be taken is rarely as simple as ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Planning decisions are made on balance; what has gone before has a bearing, what local and national policy says has a bearing, what is going on nearby has a bearing, what is going on locally and nationally has a bearing, each individual site context has a bearing, and client aspirations have a bearing.

    Our goal is to understand your project goals, budget and attitude to risk and from there we can provide you with honest, informed and clear advice, tailored to you and your project. We can guide you on the various options open to you, and the risks and costs associated with each. Read more here.

Some of our clients

Below are some of the commercial clients and organisations we work with. You can view all our recent projects or read our latest news and updates.