ACHIEVING PLANNING CONSENT FOR MANUFACTURING UNITS ON ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE SITE
Winning political support for manufacturing units on an environmentally sensitive and derelict site that had been vacant for years by demonstrating that the client was taking environmental issues and the concerns of nearby residents seriously.
The problem
- Entrenched opposition from residents living near the site, and their local political representatives.
- Track record of opposition groups successfully blocking previous proposals for demolition of existing dilapidated industrial buildings and new industrial development on the site.
The solution
- Comprehensive public consultation, including one-on-one and group meetings with residents living near the site, and public exhibitions with Comments Forms.
- Liaison with local politicians on an ongoing basis.
- Hard evidence that the client was taking the concerns of local people seriously and was responding accordingly, either by the provision of information to clarify misunderstandings or by taking appropriate action.
- Regular briefings to local residents, politicians, the media and the wider public on decontamination of the site.
The result
- Application for the client’s proposed manufacturing units approved by a large majority.
Case Studies