Dammerwick Business Park, Burnham-on-Crouch

The site presented a number of planning sensitivities, including its countryside location, proximity to the Grade II listed Dammerwick Farmhouse, flood risk constraints and ecological considerations, all of which required careful management through the application process.

Our role went beyond the preparation of the core planning case. We led the overall strategy for the application, framing the proposals not as an intensification of rural commercial activity, but as the rationalisation and modernisation of an existing business park, with a substantial reduction in built footprint from the existing arrangement. We prepared the principal planning submissions including Environmental Impact and Health Impact Assessment screenings, integrated the heritage assessment into the wider planning narrative, and co-ordinated the technical evidence on highways, flood risk, ecology and environmental matters so that the application read as a clear, coherent and policy-compliant package.

The application was ultimately approved under delegated powers, with no objections from the Highway Authority, Ecology Officer or Environment Agency, and with the officer concluding that the scheme was acceptable in principle, would preserve the setting of the nearby listed building, and would not result in unacceptable amenity, ecological, flood risk or highway impacts. The project is a strong example of our ability to significantly enhance the commercial value of our clients’ rural portfolios in sensitive rural locations by combining clear strategy, detailed policy analysis and close management of the submission and determination process.