Architects launch new planning service

A firm of Shropshire architects has rolled out a new service to help homeowners who have been refused planning permission to get the green light for their projects.

Base Architecture & Design, which has offices in Shrewsbury, Chester and Conwy, has launched its Planning Review and Advisory Service led by Associate Joe Salt, a RIBA qualified architect and Chartered Town Planner.

The new consultancy is supported by a wealth of in-house experience including award winning multi disciplinary architects, technical advisors, a chartered landscape architect and RIBA-registered client design advisor.

Base director Harry Reece said the service had been introduced following an increasing number of approaches to the firm from people who had received householder planning refusals.

“The Planning Review and Advisory Service will offer a collaborative approach, utilising Joe’s experience of local and national planning policy and linking it to the wide architectural skill set we have within Base,” he explained.

“Joe’s background in town planning coupled with extensive knowledge of domestic design and construction makes him ideally placed to review proposals that have been refused and analyse where the weaknesses lie.

“Using the combined expertise within the firm we can propose strategic solutions to maximise the success of an application. It’s an exciting extension of our core business and one we are looking forward to developing.”

Joe added: “Many planning specialists do not have the in-house architectural skills that we have at Base so we are able to look for opportunities from a policy base and design perspective, rather than just focusing on one of those strands.

“With the skillset we have, we aim to maximise the chances of achieving planning permission for those who have been refused particularly in areas of planning constraint such the green belt, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and listed buildings.”

Base works on large-scale residential schemes as well as domestic new builds, extensions, renovations and refurbishments with particular expertise in historic buildings and achieving permission for new build properties in rural areas.

Commercially, it works in a range of sectors including social housing, retail, manufacturing and education, leisure, medical and healthcare and is experienced in master planning.