Economic Planning

We advise both the public and private sector on policy, strategy and evidence for housing, employment and major strategic development opportunities such as urban extensions, new settlements and business parks.

Economic development advice and strategies
Providing strategic advice to local and national government on how to promote economic growth based on an understanding of people and place.

Business case development and funding bid support
Building Green Book compliant economic cases for investment in development and infrastructure projects on behalf of public sector clients including full value for money, and benefit cost ratio calculations.

Economic need assessment and employment land reviews
Setting out a detailed understanding of supply and demand trends for employment space, our studies quantify and define the characteristics of space for industrial and commercial activity.

Housing land supply and delivery
Providing specialist advice to local authorities on land supply questions, for example assessing the robustness of a 5 year housing land supply or whether Green Belt release is justified.

Local housing need assessments
Supporting local authorities to build the evidence needed to develop sound housing policies. As well as the housing need figure, we advise on the need for affordable housing, types and sizes of homes, housing for older and disabled people, student housing, private rented accommodation, and plots for self and custom build.

Housing and economic development needs assessments
Bringing together employment land and housing need into one study. The study ensures consistency in the narrative relating to housing need derived from jobs growth and employment land requirements.

Social value assessments
Providing support to the development industry to show the impact of development on the wellbeing and welfare of communities living close to a proposed scheme.

Socio-economic and health impact assessments
Providing strategic advice relating to the impact of development on the socio-economic welfare and health of existing communities to satisfy key dimensions of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA).

Economic inputs into scheme masterplanning
Advising clients on how development sites should interpret local housing market dynamics with an eye to producing schedules of accommodation and estimated annual build out rates.

Planning support
Providing economic studies that meet planning authorities’ requirements for robust evidence to justify the need for a given development. These include employment land assessments, neighbourhood level housing need assessments and 5-year housing land supply studies.

Commercial property market studies
Providing analysis of hotel, industrial, commercial and logistical land markets, in support of development proposals faced with the constant shifting nature of the market for employment land.

Expert witness
Appearing at Examinations in Public (EiP) as advocates for councils on housing and employment matters, and as expert witnesses at section 78 appeals to justify and explain evidence in support of appellants.

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