SF Planning Limited provides a full range of planning services across the UK with expert and candid advice.

SF Planning provided Kier Construction with invaluable planning advice and solutions during the tender, pre-construction and construction of the £14m new build development of Gloucester Academy. The advice received during the Tender stage helped Kier manage Client expectations on the Planning application process making all parties aware of the programme that needed to be allowed for. Simon and his team then provided a full management service for the Planning application itself, attending meetings with the Planners, Consultees, Client and Design team. SF Planning provided Kier Construction with an outstanding service, they were always on hand to resolve awkward questions that the Planning process often throws up in a friendly, professional manner.

SF Planning acted as our planning consultants for our planning application for the Pittville Project. This was for ‘the provision of residential accommodation for people with disabilities including associated care, learning and activity facilities’. The application was potentially a controversial one. The site already had planning permission for a residential facility but that permission was granted following a recommendation of refusal from the planning officer. Simon Firkins acted on our behalf and led on discussions with the local planning authority, liaising with us and the architects. Our planning application had the total support of the planning officer and all consultants, and was well received by the planning committee. As part of the application process SF Planning led us through a pre-application advice process with Cheltenham Borough Council writing a pre[1]application report, organised a public consultation, produced a Planning Statement, Statement of Need and worked with us on the Travel Plan. We were very satisfied with the support provided by and the professionalism of SF Planning and are happy to provide this testimonial of their services.

SF Planning provided us with a competitive proposal to take our Northleach site forward and offered some swift and frank advice without charge in order to establish a position to work from. We were most satisfied with how the company recommended and organised a large team of specialist consultants, ran a public consultation event and comprehensively argued our case in the context of the NPPF and emerging Local and Neighbourhood Plans. The outline planning permission we needed to present the site to the market was secured. This was all achieved in a very timely manner. Mark in particular reacted swiftly to any issues that arose and kept us fully informed at all times.

When we were considering moving premises within Cheltenham our business model meant that we had to realise the optimum value for our current site in Leckhampton in order to be able to build our new office on Hatherley Lane. There was only one choice for us for Planning Consultant and that was SF Planning. We have worked with Simon successfully on a number of schemes for our clients, but now we were the developer and we wanted to assemble the best team available in Gloucestershire. Simon led the consultation with the LPA, contributing to the negotiations with the Head of Planning and the District Valuer such that we got the result we need to be able to move to new, purpose built offices that will benefit our business for years to come. When things became bogged down he was always there to get things moving again. His presentation at the planning committee was excellent and he made a stressful process much easier to bear. Simon was always ready with great ideas and worked very well with both our design teams, for the proposed redevelopment and the new office, and with our Property Agent.

I have dealt with SF Planning on various projects over a 5 year period. SF Planning have proved to be diligent and conscientious and always exhibit a positive and progressive attitude. I have found them to possess excellent communication, organisational and management skills and their grasp of planning related matters is superb. SF Planning find intelligent and innovative solutions and numerous ways to deliver greater value to clients. I have been impressed with their broad skillset and flexibility to undertake any challenge effectively and quickly. Simon and Becky particularly are very able to strike rapport with their clients and professional partners alike and consummately coordinate negotiations between clients, planners and other third parties. I can recommend SF Planning very highly and would thoroughly back them as the Royal Town Planning Institute’s ‘Small Planning Consultancy of the Year.’

In 2014 we embarked on a massive move to a farm near Stroud that needed to accommodate not only our family, but the whole of Giffords Circus and TE Gifford Landscapes. SF Planning rose to the challenge of complicated planning with incredible common sense and practicality. The firm, and Simon Firkins in particular, hand held us through the process bringing good humour and wit into what could have been a very stressful project. They proved themselves to be extremely reliable and found solutions for some problems that appeared insurmountable. As a result, we received all the planning for which we applied.

SFP were instrumental in assisting me to obtain a change of use consent. Their detailed knowledge of both the planning and political landscape was essential in weaving our way through the process. Their service was both personal and highly professional and I highly recommend them as excellent planning consultants.

Simon was incredibly knowledgeable and was aware of the difficulties that lay ahead of us. We worked with Simon for several months fine-tuning a design of the proposed home and researching the rules for possible options on the building site. We faced considerable resistance from a few vocal members of the local community, but gained the support of the planning officer. Simon was confident and incredibly knowledgeable in his strategy and the design of the planning documents submitted to the council. We remain incredibly confident that without Simon’s knowledge, given the sensitivity of the project, we would not have the beautiful home that we have today…

SFP took on a project for myself in September 2013, which was a very sensitive site where various approaches, over the last 30 years, had been made to achieve Planning Consent on an old concrete Barn in Ham Road, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham. SFP were able to put this to the test with their skilled knowledge of all the Planning Policies, deal with the local Council and attend various meetings to help us see this through to the end. They dealt with it in a very professional and enthusiastic way, not letting us doubt that it could not be possible, as they were always very honest with their opinions. The Company made you feel that your case was as important to them as it was for myself. I felt that I got a very personal service, not just from the Planning Consultant involved, but from everyone else within the Company. After achieving success I would definitely be using SFP to pursue any further Planning issues as I have every confidence in them.