Five top tips for navigating the planning process

Planning a construction project, particularly in urban areas, is complex - with regulations and requirements galore.

Not only is the project itself complex, there are hundreds, possibly thousands of interested parties, from investors to nearby residents, who all need to be on board and kept up-to-date with the project’s progression.

Here are our five simple tips to make the planning process a little easier to navigate.

Make sure you’re complying with regulations

A successful construction project must adhere to UK regulations to avoid getting into legal issues.

These range from environmental regulations, such as the section 61 Control of Pollution Act, which covers noise pollution, to safety regulations and zoning restrictions.

Regulations can change, so make sure when planning your project you are working to the very latest.

Keeping on top of these is crucial to making sure every box is ticked when putting together a proposal.

Data, data, data

Getting good data is among the most important things you can do in putting together any successful construction project.

You need to know the area you are looking to build in and understand the issues facing the area.

Project area surveys give essential strategic insight into local areas, an up-to-date picture of the community.

Connecting to the public

Construction projects, especially in urban areas with large local communities, can have a huge impact on the area they are built in.

It is crucial a developer understands the local area, the challenges facing a community and how they will be affected by a new development.

Keeping the local community on side and supportive of your plans is vital in a successful project, as is ensuring everyone living nearby is kept up-to-date with the project’s progression.

A successful construction project should bring the local community along with it.

A clear timeline

Creating a clear and realistic timeline at the beginning of your project ensures deadlines are met and the project is not delayed.

Delays and missed deadlines not only have a knock-on effect on contractors and suppliers, often leading to extra costs, it extends the time the local community will have to live with the disruption.

A project with a timeline with achievable deadlines set out from the start is more likely to avoid these delays that can often plague building projects.

Getting support

If there is an area of the planning process you need help or guidance in, there is support out there for you.

Most successful projects are fuelled by collaborations and partnerships - you don’t have to be an expert in everything.

At Urban Thinking, we can complement a business’ in-house team, providing a wide-range of expertise including stakeholder engagement, project impact surveys and digital mapping, local authority liaison, public relations and data management.

We can also assist in navigating environmental regulations, particularly around dust and noise pollution, so that your project can go ahead with limited impact on considerately engaged stakeholders with whom the project team have prioritised good relations.

If you are interested in finding out more about Urban Thinking and our services, please contact us here.