Get planning advice and a clear strategy for your site or project

For homeowners, landowners, developers and businesses facing a tricky planning decision. Compare quotes from planning consultants who can advise on policy, strategy, applications and appeals.

A planning consultant specialises in the planning system rather than building design. They are most useful when a project is contentious, policy-heavy or high value: a new home in a garden, a change of use, development in the countryside or green belt, a site with a refusal in its history, or a scheme the council seems unlikely to support. Many are chartered town planners. A good consultant reads the local plan and national policy closely, judges the realistic prospects, shapes the strategy and arguments, coordinates specialist reports and negotiates with officers, often alongside your designer.

How a professional can help

• Planning appraisal: They assess your site against national and local policy, its planning history and comparable decisions, and give a reasoned view of what could be achieved and the main risks.
• Strategy and sequencing: They advise on the route, such as pre-application advice first, outline or full application, relying on permitted development as a fallback, or phasing a scheme, and on the order of surveys and reports.
• Planning statements: They write the planning statement that sets out the policy case for your proposal, explaining how it accords with the development plan, or why other considerations outweigh any conflict.
• Coordinating specialists: They brief and coordinate specialists in areas such as heritage, ecology, transport, flood risk and trees, so every report supports the same case and nothing the council needs is missing.
• Negotiating with the council: They meet officers, respond to consultees and objections, negotiate conditions and planning obligations, and can speak for you at planning committee where the council allows it.
• Appeals and objections: If an application is refused, they can advise on and run an appeal. Some also help people object to, or comment on, a nearby development or a draft local plan.

Is this right for you?

• Your proposal is likely to be contentious, such as a new home on a garden plot or in a rural location.
• A previous application on the site was refused, and you want to understand why and what could be done differently.
• You own land and want to know its development potential before you sell, buy or invest in design.
• You have a designer for the drawings but need someone to make the policy case and handle negotiations.
• You want to object to, or comment on, a development proposed near you.

How the project usually runs

• Initial review: The consultant reviews your aims, the site, its planning history and the relevant policies, often with a site visit, and gives an early view on prospects and risks.
• Strategy and team: They recommend the route and timing, which supporting reports are needed and who should prepare them, and work with your designer on a scheme that suits the policy context.
• Pre-application engagement: Where useful, they seek pre-application advice from the council and, for larger schemes, engage with the local community and councillors before a formal submission.
• Application and negotiation: They prepare the planning statement, manage the submission and handle negotiations while the council considers it, including amendments, conditions and any planning obligations.
• Decision, conditions or appeal: After approval, they help discharge or vary conditions. After a refusal, they advise whether an appeal or a revised application gives you the stronger chance.

What affects the cost

• The scale and complexity of the proposal, from a single home to a large mixed-use scheme.
• How contentious the site is, including policy conflicts, local opposition or past refusals.
• Whether you need a one-off appraisal or support from strategy right through to a decision.
• How many specialist reports need commissioning and coordinating.
• Whether meetings, community engagement, committee attendance or an appeal are part of the brief.
• How the consultant charges, for example a fixed fee for set stages or time-based rates.

How planning decisions are made

• Across the UK, decisions are made in line with the development plan unless other material considerations indicate otherwise, so the local plan carries real weight.
• National policy differs by nation, and local plans, supplementary guidance and design codes vary from council to council.
• Depending on the scheme, there may be planning obligations, the Community Infrastructure Levy in parts of England and Wales and, in England, biodiversity net gain.
• A consultant can give an informed professional view, but the decision rests with the council, or with the appeal body if you appeal.

Questions people ask

Do I need a planning consultant, or would a designer be enough?

For a straightforward extension, a designer who regularly makes planning applications is often enough. A planning consultant adds most value where policy is the main hurdle: new homes, changes of use, rural or green belt sites, heritage-sensitive schemes, past refusals or appeals. On many projects the two work together, with the designer responsible for drawings and the consultant for strategy and the written case.

What qualifications should a planning consultant have?

Many are chartered members of the Royal Town Planning Institute, shown by the letters MRTPI, which means they have met its professional standards and follow its code of conduct. It isn’t a legal requirement, so also look at their experience with similar projects and with your council, and ask for examples of their work.

Can a planning consultant get my application approved?

No one can promise approval, because the decision belongs to the council or, on appeal, an independent decision-maker. What a consultant can do is give you an honest view of the prospects, make a well-argued policy case, anticipate objections and negotiate changes that address concerns. They should also tell you when a proposal is unlikely to succeed.

Can a planning consultant help me object to a neighbour’s application?

Yes. They can review the plans and the council’s policies and write an objection focused on material planning considerations, such as overlooking, loss of light, highway safety, character or heritage impact. Issues like property values or private disputes aren’t usually relevant. They can also speak at committee if the council allows public speaking.

Can I use a consultant just for advice, without a full application?

Yes. Many offer a one-off planning appraisal or a short report on a site’s prospects, which can help before you buy land, commission design work or decide whether to appeal. Agree exactly what the report will cover before they start.

Available across the UK

Professionals cover the whole of the UK: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Planning and Building Regulations differ between the four nations, and your professional will work to the rules that apply where your property is.

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