Before Site Acquisition
Test the planning position before committing to land, an option, promotion agreement or significant due-diligence expenditure.
Planning Services for Developers
Planning Advice Built For Developers.
Clear planning strategy for developers, architects and landowners who need to understand risk before committing capital.
Cedar Planning provides commercially aware planning advice across England — from early site appraisal and development strategy through to applications, appeals, land promotion and retained planning support.
Early Stage
Site & Policy Review
Understand planning constraints and development potential before committing significant cost.
Strategy
Commercially Aware
Advice proportionate to development value, planning risk and the decision you need to make.
Delivery
Application Support
Planning statements, submissions and consultant coordination where a project moves forward.
Continuity
Retained Support
Ongoing planning input for developers, architects and businesses with multiple live sites.
Planning Advice With a Commercial Purpose
Planning is one part of the development decision — but it can determine whether the project works.
Developers need more than a summary of planning policy. They need to know what the policy means for the site, where the principal risks lie, what evidence is likely to be required and whether the project is worth taking to the next stage.
Our role is to turn that planning context into a practical strategy. That might mean testing a site before acquisition, challenging an overly cautious design response, identifying a permitted-development fallback, planning a phased application strategy or advising that a site needs more work before further professional fees are committed.
Where the development proceeds, we can remain involved through the application, negotiations, appeal or longer-term land promotion process.
Developer Planning Services
Planning support from early feasibility to appeal.
The right scope depends on the stage of the project. These services can be instructed individually or combined into a wider planning strategy.
Development Strategy
Good planning advice should help you make a decision, not just produce a report.
A technically correct planning report is only useful if it helps move the development forward. We focus on the questions that affect value and deliverability: what can realistically be supported, what the authority is likely to challenge, which issues require specialist evidence and where there may be a stronger alternative route.
That means being prepared to recommend a different application strategy, a change to the development mix, further evidence, a pre-application step or — where appropriate — that the planning risk is too high to justify further expenditure at that stage.
For live applications, we can also help interpret officer feedback, respond to policy concerns and advise where amendments would materially improve the planning position.
Where We Add Value
Planning support at the points where development risk changes.
The most useful planning input often comes before a major commitment or immediately after something changes.
Before Design Is Fixed
Identify policy and site constraints early enough for the design team to respond without costly redesign later.
Before Submission
Check that the planning case, supporting evidence and application strategy address the issues likely to influence determination.
After Officer Concerns
Separate issues that need a substantive response from matters that can be resolved through clarification, conditions or proportionate amendments.
After Refusal
Review whether the stronger commercial route is appeal, resubmission, redesign or a different planning strategy.
Across a Development Pipeline
Provide consistent planning input across multiple live sites, acquisitions and design-team discussions through retained support.
Retained Planning Support
A planning consultant available across your development pipeline.
For developers, architects and land professionals who need regular planning input, a retainer can be more efficient than commissioning a separate piece of work every time a planning question arises.
Retained support can be used for site reviews, planning-history checks, policy interpretation, design meetings, application strategy, officer responses and early advice on new opportunities.
Rapid Site Reviews
Early planning input when a new opportunity lands and an initial decision is needed quickly.
Pipeline Planning Advice
Ongoing advice across several projects without repeatedly setting up a new instruction.
Design Team Input
Planning feedback during concept development and consultant coordination.
Application & Officer Responses
Support with live planning issues, policy questions and evolving application strategy.
How We Work
A practical planning process for development projects.
The scope changes with the project, but the objective remains the same: understand the planning position, decide the strategy and focus professional effort where it can add value.
Review
We assess the site, planning history, proposal, policy position and known constraints.
Strategy
We identify the planning route, principal risks, required evidence and recommended next steps.
Preparation
We prepare planning documents and coordinate with the wider consultant or design team where required.
Delivery
We support the application, negotiations, appeal or next-stage development decision in line with the agreed scope.
About Cedar Planning
Direct planning advice from an experienced Chartered Town Planner.
Cedar Planning is led by Dan Malloy MRTPI. Developers and professional teams receive direct planning input from initial site review through to strategy, written submissions and appeal advice.
We work across England and support developers, architects, landowners and businesses on residential, commercial, rural and mixed development projects — with a particular focus on clear advice, fixed scopes and commercially useful planning strategy.
Developer Planning FAQs
Questions about planning consultancy for developers.
These are some of the questions we are commonly asked before reviewing a site or joining a project team.
When should a developer involve a planning consultant?
Planning input is often most valuable before land acquisition, before the design is fixed or before significant technical expenditure is committed. Early advice can identify constraints, likely policy issues and the planning route before they become expensive to change.
Can Cedar Planning review a site before we buy it?
Yes. A feasibility study or site appraisal can review planning history, policy, designations, constraints and development potential to support a commercial decision before acquisition.
Can you work directly with our architect and consultant team?
Yes. We can provide planning input during concept design, advise on the evidence likely to be required and coordinate planning strategy with architects and specialist consultants.
Can you provide ongoing planning support across several sites?
Yes. Retained support can provide regular access to planning advice for site reviews, pipeline discussions, live applications and emerging development opportunities.
Can you help if a development application has been refused?
Yes. We can review the refusal notice, officer report, submitted evidence and planning history before advising whether an appeal, amended application or alternative strategy appears more appropriate.
Do you offer fixed-fee developer planning work?
Yes. Where the scope can be clearly defined, we provide a fixed-fee quotation setting out the agreed work and deliverables before the instruction begins.
Have a site or development project you want to test?
Send us the site address, planning reference, concept drawings or a short summary of the opportunity. We can review the planning position and propose a clear scope for the next stage.
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