Planning & Development Brochure

GSC GRAYS PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT

EXCITE CLIENTS · THINK DIFFERENTLY · BE EXCEPTIONAL

GSC GRAYS

We are a leading multi-disciplinary professional services firm covering the North of England.

With professional staff to provide a full range of services for our diverse client base covering Estate Management, Farm Business Consultancy, Estate Agency and associated departments, including a specialist Planning and Development team.

Our motto is to excite clients, think differently and be exceptional.

As a business, we offer a fresh, dynamic, and professional approach. We combine integrity and energy with expertise to provide our clients with a quality of service which they cannot find elsewhere.

OUR PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT SERVICE

Our specialist Planning and Development team is focused on delivering added value to land and property. With professional staff with a diverse skill set that can advise clients on the wideranging opportunities which exist on their properties. These services can be offered in isolation or as part of a wider consultancy and fall into three main categories.

“ON-FARM” DEVELOPMENT

Our team frequently advise on the delivery of projects to upgrade existing facilities, diversify businesses, and capitalise on under-used assets. This sector of our work covers a broad range of projects including:

• New build residential and commercial development.

• Farm scale diversification opportunities.

• Agricultural workers dwelling applications.

• Class Q conversion of agricultural buildings to dwellings.

• Barn conversion schemes for a range of end uses.

• Undertake viability appraisals and valuations.

STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT SITES

Our development pipeline equates to 35,000 new homes, the equivalent in population terms to twice the size of Lancaster or the equivalent of Darlington. We specialise in the planning, promotion and ultimate sale of sites and in doing so:

• Develop and implement promotion strategies.

• Project manage the planning process.

• Co-ordinate site investigation works and infrastructure delivery.

• Negotiate option and promotion agreements as well as direct sales.

• Undertake price negotiations including detailed cost analysis.

• Help clients construct business cases for enabling development projects.

• Provide valuation and dispute resolution services, including expert witness/determination.

ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

We have sector leading specialists who can advise on the delivery of ecosystem services needed to progress development projects of all scales. As a business providing consultancy or management services on more than 500,000 acres, we are well placed to identify receptor sites and work with landowners to deliver environmental gains. In a rapidly expanding sector, our team can:

• Advise on biodiversity net gain requirements.

• Assess requirements for nutrient neutrality, including for small scale and individual plots.

• Develop a mitigation strategy including off-site delivery.

• Advise on the delivery of Environmental and Social Governance policies.

• Negotiate the sale/purchase of ecosystem services including management responsibilities and price.

CASE STUDIES

Our Planning and Development team are dedicated to providing the best advice and outcomes for our clients. Here are a range of some of the successful projects that our team have been involved with.

DEVELOPMENT SITE: PRICE NEGOTIATION

• GSC Grays engaged in price negotiations with a developer for a residential development site in County Durham and successfully increased the land offer on behalf of the landowner.

• The GSC Grays team undertook significant research to assess the validity of the price notice including a full review of the revenue (GDV) of the site, a review of standard build costs as well as the abnormal costs. This had the effect of substantially increasing the price which was submitted within a counter notice.

• We negotiated with the developer to increase the price supported by forensic evidence to support our conclusion.

• We also provided our assessment on the costs for roads and sewers, contingency costs, professional and marketing fees as well as finance costs and house builder margin together with a full review of the abnormal costs.

• We then reviewed the contract to determine how our assessment of the revenue and the above costs should be applied.

• We negotiated with the developer and reached a satisfactory conclusion with the price being settled at over 40% more than the original offer.

LAND IN NORTHUMBERLAND

BACKGROUND:

• Our client owned a significant amount of land which had been subject to historic open cast coal mining.

• The land was situated on the edge of a settlement, and we made the approach to the landowner when the Local Authority were about to begin their local plan process.

• Two parcels of land were also owned by the Local Authority and let to the same landowner.

• The minerals were owned separately.

THE WORK TO DATE:

• Negotiated an option to purchase the minerals.

• Negotiated with the Landowner and Local Authority to jointly promote the site.

• Representations to the LPA Local Plan process, at various stages identifying the land to be developed for housing.

• Stakeholder engagement with the Neighbourhood Plan together with potential for playing fields and a relief road for the town centre to facilitate the development.

• Preparation and coordination of Pre-application advice in respect of the various phases of the development.

• Successfully obtained outline planning permission.

• Safeguarded land for future development by providing the infrastructure, or the ability to upgrade infrastructure to service additional housing.

ADDING VALUE:

• Pre-planning work provided sufficient information for developers to submit realistic bids resulting in a higher capital receipt for the landowner.

• Safeguarded landowners retained land for future development as part of the master planning process.

• Enabled the development of over 500 new homes including affordable homes.

• Significant S106 contributions to support the local community together with education contributions to support special educational needs.

AGRICULTURAL WORKERS DWELLING

• GSC Grays submitted an outline planning application for a new farm workers dwelling on the edge of York.

• We developed a strong business case to demonstrate that a new dwelling would be viable through a detailed planning appraisal.

• We demonstrated that there was a clear functional need for the dwelling due to a lack of affordable accommodation within the area and the working demands of the farm, particularly with the livestock enterprises.

• We submitted an outline planning application supported by a robust business appraisal that was approved by the LPA.

• The principles of the development were established to enable the farm business to be sustainable in the long term.

• GSC Grays have submitted a number of other successful agricultural and general workers dwelling applications and can provide professional advice for these uses.

A CLASS Q PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION

• GSC Grays submitted a Class Q permitted development application for the conversion of a steel-portal framed agricultural building to a single residential dwelling.

• The application fell within a catchment covered by the nutrient neutrality legislation.

• We had to prove that the development would not increase the nitrogen effluent within catchment by designing a mitigation strategy that involved the planting of trees on the client’s farm which would off-set the nutrient load expected from the residential dwelling which aligned with the existing objectives of the farm.

• The proposed mitigation and permitted development application was approved by Natural England and the LPA to enable the works to progress.

OUR TEAM

Our experienced and professional planning team can work with you to maximise the development potential of your site, no matter the scale of the project.

E: crg@gscgrays.co.uk

P: 01833 694931

Calum heads up our Planning and Development Team, whilst maintaining a hands-on approach. Calum’s focus is generally on urban extensions, strategic and mixeduse schemes.

MRICS FAAV

GEORGINA WATSON DIRECTOR

E: hgw@gscgrays.co.uk

P: 07930 279764

Georgina is a Chartered Surveyor and agricultural valuer. She specialises in on-farm development projects, providing advice to farmers on opportunities to enhance the value of their assets through development.

E: has@gscgrays.co.uk

P: 01524 880325

Holly leads our Environment & Sustainability department, which specialises in environmental management and consultancy, this includes exploring opportunities connected to Biodiversity Net Gain and Nutrient Neutrality.

E: srcw@gscgrays.co.uk

P: 01524 880329

Simon is a Chartered Surveyor with over 25 years of experience. Simon offers a broad experience within the Planning and Development team with the rare combination of working for both developers and the landowning and farming sector.

E: alb@gscgrays.co.uk

P: 01833 694933

Since joining GSC Grays in July 2018, Alice has been involved in a number of projects including large scale strategic development sites, barn conversions and new agricultural buildings.

E: sh@gscgrays.co.uk

P: 01833 694932

Samantha   is   a   Chartered   Surveyor in our Planning and Development Team and has broad experience of development including the promotion of largescale strategic development sites.

E: jmn@gscgrays.co.uk

P: 01665 568317

Jenn is a Chartered Surveyor who specialises in the provision of general professional advice across Northumberland including on-farm diversification and development projects such as change of use, conversions, new farm buildings and listed buildings consents.

CALUM GILLHESPY DIRECTOR MRICS

SIMON WALLER DIRECTOR FRICS FAAV

ALICE BONAS SENIOR SURVEYOR FRICS

HOLLY STORY DIRECTOR FAAV

SAMANTHA RYAN SENIOR SURVEYOR MRICS JENN NEILL ASSOCIATE RICS FAAV

WHERE WE CAN HELP

We offer our Planning & Development Services in the area shown below.