Chapman Lily Planning have been successful in gaining planning permission for the redevelopment of a former MOT and car wash site on a visually prominent plot in Rayleigh, Essex, for a block of nine apartments.
The scheme was on a relatively small, and therefore architecturally challenging, corner-plot site. With the need to provide for a positive and comfortable presence to the public realm, both rear and front vehicular access, parking and servicing, was a challenge in value-engineering the proposal for the nine apartments. Local architects Mathews Serjeant Architects rose to the challenge with a highly technically competent approach in our opinion.
Submitted in August 2022, receipt of the decision notice for an uncontentious development in February 2023 is, unfortunately, not uncommon across the country and this is where preparation of planning applications is key; in reducing the potential for issues to arise during the course of the planning application, with an ever-increasing number of councils unwilling or unable to engage once the planning application has been submitted.
Chapman Lily continue to benefit from experience of local planning authorities around the country and can bring this experience to bear when advising clients on the raft of supporting information often needed to get planning applications in the door, let alone determined in a reasonable time frame.