We were pleased to attend the opening party for a new development of houses near Bagshot, Surrey. We obtained planning permission for this brownfield redevelopment scheme in the Green Belt, where there were many issues to overcome in order to gain permission under delegated powers.

We are pleased to have secured planning permission for a very substantial new house, set within extensive landscaped grounds in Surrey's Green Belt. The case was a complex one that involved a series of previous planning permissions and refusals on the land, and issues of ecology and trees.
We presented a submission that demonstrated the new house would accord with the restrictive national and local policies that apply to such areas. The design of the house, by Studio Indigo, was of the highest quality, with new grounds for the house. The application progressed smoothly, and planning permission was granted under Delegated Powers by Planning Officers, which minimised the risk for the client and maximised the potential of the land.

Client: private client

Planning permission was refused for a side extension to a detached house in the Green Belt, near Windsor. The application had been prepared with detailed analysis of Green Belt policy and case law, and so the refusal of permission was felt to be unreasonable. We made an appeal, and the Inspector agreed with our interpretation of these matters. Permission was granted, and full costs awarded against the Council.
The case raised some important points of planning law and was reported in the planning press.

​Client: private householder

We were approached by a private boarding school who had a need for staff accommodation on their land. The needs of the boarders mean that constant supervision is needed, but being in an area of expensive housing, and set within the Green Belt, led to a serious problem for the school. A previous planning application for accommodation had been refused. We provided a robust submission that demonstrated there were the necessary very special circumstances needed to outweigh the harm to the Green Belt, with the case raising issues of the legal rights of the children in the care of the school.
Client: Sunningdale School

The use of land and buildings in the Green Belt for equestrian and livery purposes was questioned by the local planning authority. We were asked to prepare a Certificate of Lawfulness application, and the evidence we gathered and presented demonstrated the lawful situation. The business owner could then continue his activities.

Client: commercial client

We continue our long-standing work with the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club, one of the top polo clubs in the country. Permission has been granted for a new pavilion on their No. 1 pitch to enable guests and members to watch matches and for hospitality events. A new access road will serve the pavilion, crossing fields and close to trees in this Green Belt location.

Client: RCBPC

Permission has been granted for works to improve access to the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club, near Ascot. This is a long-standing client, and we are pleased to continue work with them to have better polo facilities for the club.

Client: Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club

We were contacted by a landowner who was notified of an application for a mobile phone mast on land opposite their land. Our client was concerned with the proximity of the mast and equipment, so we lodged an objection on their behalf. The application was refused by the local planning authority, but an appeal lodged. We made further representations at the appeal stage, and the scheme was dismissed by the Inspector.
Client: MSG Group

After a long-running series of planning applications, applications for Certificate of Lawfulness, enforcement notices and four conjoined appeals heard at an Inquiry, we managed to have enforcement notices quashed for two properties near Ascot where the gardens had extended into Green Belt land. The cases raised complex issues of law and policy, and we were pleased that the patience of our clients held out to get the result they desired.

Client: private householders

Planning permission has been granted under delegated powers for the redevelopment of a redundant garage and house on the edge of a village in Berkshire, south of Windsor. The scheme will see detached and semi-detached houses replacing an unattractive and redundant site, and the case involved presenting information relating to past uses and the issue of the Green Belt.

Client: Zion Properties Ltd