We begin by understanding your ambitions for the project. Understanding your ideas, priorities, and how you hope to live or work in the space helps us shape an approach that’s both creative and realistic. We’ll visit your site to review its opportunities, constraints, and the relevant planning policies that will influence the design. This early review gives us a good sense of what’s likely to be supported by the local authority and where potential challenges might lie.

From there, we’ll develop an initial sketch proposal that responds to your brief and the site. This might include simple massing studies, diagrams, sketches, or precedent images to help you visualise the concept. If we anticipate that certain aspects might raise questions with the planners, we’ll explore them in more detail and build a clear, reasoned case for why the proposal could work.

Once the concept is ready, we’ll submit a Pre-Application Enquiry to the local council. Responses typically take around four to six weeks and may come as written feedback, a meeting, or a site visit (a small fee is payable to the Local Authority at the time of submission). When the council’s feedback arrives, we’ll review it together and, if needed, continue discussions with the planning team to make sure we have a clear and positive route forward for your full planning application.

Throughout the pre-application stage, we’ll keep you informed and involved. We’ll visit the site with you, explain how planning policies apply in plain language, and help you understand what’s achievable.

We’ll take time to listen to your ideas, understand your goals, and develop sketch designs that reflect both your aspirations and the site’s potential. Each stage is reviewed with you, ensuring you’re confident in the direction before anything is submitted.

Once the pre-application is with the council, we’ll handle communications with the planning officers on your behalf. We’ll interpret their feedback clearly and provide practical advice on how best to refine the proposal. Our goal is to make the process smooth, transparent, and constructive.

A pre-application helps test your ideas before committing to the cost of a full planning submission. It highlights what’s likely to be supported, gives early cost clarity, and reduces risk later.

Taking time at this stage can make the planning process smoother, saving time and money while strengthening your chances of success