Charisma planning
Individuals, groups and clubs, charities
Your proposals and ideas – we can help you decide if planning permission is needed for your proposed development and what sort of chance of success it might have. We can prepare feasibility reports for small or large developments and then if you decide to go ahead prepare a planning application for you.
When things go pear shaped – we can help you sort out any issues or problems when things have gone wrong or turned out unexpectedly. Have you already applied for planning permission but your application has been turned down? We can advise on what to do and whether it might be worth submitting an appeal. Or perhaps you have permission, but a list of conditions that you didn't expect? Or perhaps things have moved on and you would like to change your ideas?
Concerned about development in your area? – we can help you write a letter outlining your views about proposals in your area and have an effective dialogue with your local Council.
Are you interested in knowing more about the planning system? We will come and talk to you about the planning system and all its ins and outs. We have even had 1-to-1 sessions with parish councillors who would like to know more about the planning system.
Business and commerical sector
What can I do with my site? – we can help you to decide what options are most likely to succeed and how to make things happen. We can influence policy and proposals in the LDF, make a planning application for you and bring in other professionals such as landscape architects, transport planners, aboriculturalists and designers and architects to work alongside us.
Lots of good ideas? – let us help you to think out ways of achieving innovative solutions for your site. We can help generate options and solve problems. Often current planning policies don't anticipate or can’t address particular types of development. An example of this type of work is helping MDR Developments Ltd to find ways of persuading local authorities that extra care villages for the frail elderly need specific provision in LDF policy documents.
Offered a site, but aren’t sure? Need an appraisal quickly? – perhaps you have been offered a site, but aren’t sure about its potential. We can help you to use the planning system positively by influencing policy, coming up with innovative solutions, solving problems, troubleshooting and working out an approach that suits you. Feasibility appraisals have recently been carried out on housing and former industrial sites and major employment sites.
Public sector
Interim management – Clive was Head of Planning at Chelmsford Borough Council before establishing Charisma with Ann in 2003 and has acted most recently as interim manager at Thurrock Council and Brentwood Council. At Thurrock Clive helped to prepare the spatial options for the Core Strategy issues and options DPD and oversaw the preparation of the LDS and SCI. He also scoped the evidence base for the LDF and commissioned and briefed consultants to prepare background technical papers. This included an Infrastructure Deficit Study to inform the Council’s policy in relation to planning obligations.
Writing DPDs, SPDs, guidance notes or public information leaflets – do you need support with the LDF to get things moving? We’ll do the research and produce the SCI, LDS, DPDs and SPDs on a wide range of topics including planning obligations, inclusive design and accessibility. We can also help with guidance notes for officers and members and leaflets for the public. Example topics are design and access statements, the appeal system, how to get involved in the LDF and speaking at committee.
Peer review – Clive has recently peer reviewed an emerging Core Strategy, DPD and AAP (issues and options stage). Would you find it useful to have a critical friend?
Facilitation – often an independent facilitator really helps particularly for mediation or community engagement work. Ann can also offer facilitation for
inception meetings of planning performance agreements.
Appeals – we can prepare the Council’s case for all types of appeals and act as your planning witness at inquiry. We can advise on how to make your statements more effective.
Training for planning officers and other staff – we offer a range of courses on spatial planning, new legislation and guidance updates, writing effective reports, writing appeal statements, acting as the Council’s representative at appeals, use of conditions and obligations, inclusive design, design and access statements and the LDF system to name but a few. Would you like us to keep you in touch with what’s going on in the world of planning?
Training for elected members – we offer bespoke training for councillors including introduction to the planning system for new councillors, new legislation and guidance updates, the role of councillors and specific topic based training such as planning conditions and obligations, the appeal system, acting as the Council’s witness at hearings and inquiries and material considerations.
What's the big hot potato topic in your area? Let us know and we will develop a workshop using your policies and case studies from your area. Training can be carried out in half days, full days or even away days. We’ll do all the organising for you or come into your offices – if you’d like to ask your neighbouring authorities to join you that’s fine by us.
Mentoring and training of new or less experienced staff – Clive or Ann are happy to act as mentors.
Nitty gritty
Charisma is a PAS preferred supplier. Ann is also a PAS accredited planning consultant. Clive has bags of management experience and is a member of Chartered Institute of Management.