Edgeplan | Planning Consultants

Providing commercially driven planning solutions

Planning is a complicated process, and continued planning reform only makes it harder to keep up. We’re here to guide our clients through the maze, and with help from an established network of experienced professionals to call upon, we can deliver effective solutions.

ABOUT US

Edgeplan is an independent planning consultancy providing advice and planning services, principally to the development industry including landowners, developers, occupiers and investors throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Our specialisms include providing strategic development advice and the submission of planning applications with supporting information and justification; negotiation with local planning authorities, consultees, interested parties and local communities. We also deliver ongoing planning advice during construction, implementation and operation of development projects.

MATTHEW SYMONS

Associate Director

07827 669141

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STEVE EDGELLER

Planning Director

07887 823505

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Steve is a Chartered Town Planner with nearly thirty years’ experience working on development projects across the UK, and twenty years spent in Manchester concentrating on the food and non-food retail sector. Prior to forming Edgeplan, Steve was a Planning Director with a national multi-disciplinary firm where he oversaw a team working principally on retail and commercial projects. He is responsible for managing and overseeing practice and policies as well as working on projects throughout the country.

JAMES BERGGREN

Associate Director

07496 109559

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Matthew is a Chartered Town Planner based in Manchester. Having started his career with a small consultancy, he has most recently worked for a housebuilder and strategic land promotion company. He has been responsible for promoting sites and submitting/managing residential planning applications on sites in the North West and elsewhere. Matthew's experience and familiarity with local plan housing policies offers an invaluable resource to inform landowners, developers and housebuilders.

James is a Chartered Town Planner based in Manchester and the North West. He previously worked for a major multi-disciplinary practice, having started his career in local government at Wigan Council and subsequently Bolton Council. James has worked with a number of volume housebuilders in promoting strategic sites and on planning applications for residential and commercial development. He has presented evidence at Hearings, Inquiries and in Court. James leads on commercial projects in the North and elsewhere in the country.

GAVIN CURWEN

Senior Planner

07908 046060

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Gavin, a Chartered Town Planner, joined after spending time as a Development Management Case Officer with a London Authority, dealing with a variety of applications at delegated and committee level. He also took an active role in providing pre-application advice to members of the public and developers.

Prior to this, Gavin worked for a District Council co-ordinating the preparation of Neighbourhood Plans and undertaking stakeholder engagement.

Gavin is principally responsible for projects in London and the south-east region.

Dylan is currently working on his Masters Degree at the University of Westminster as a part-time Level 7 Apprentice. He graduated from the University of Manchester in 2023 with an Upper Second Class Degree in Planning and Real Estate.

Dylan provides research and planning support to the team as well as the preparation and submission of planning applications and appeals on sites across the country.

DYLAN BROOKS

Planning Trainee

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OUR VALUES

Edgeplan are a highly motivated young company bringing together experience from some of the country’s leading national planning consultancies. Each of our staff have been individually selected for their outstanding capability and experience in their field. This has allowed us to create a bespoke firm with the benefit of large firm organisational experience but with maximum efficiency from the beginning. This translates as better value for money for our clients.

As a small independent company we’ve created strong relationships with our clients. We work hard to understand what’s required from us, and how we can bring value to the process, making sure that we remain focused on the collective goal.

As Planners, we need to maintain a strong commercial awareness, often acting as intermediary between developer and regulator to find a solution which meets both parties’ needs and aspirations. We also work very closely with other property professionals, often appointing some or all of the development team on the client’s behalf and managing projects to meet objectives and deadlines.

All of our Planners are experienced in appraising sites, developing proposals and advising on strategy to make sure the brief is properly set-out from the start. We’re in day-to-day contact with Local Planning Authorities across the country, and we have a strong understanding of the challenges and requirements needed to make sure planning applications are registered and progressed in a timely manner. We will advise whether pre-application discussions might be of benefit; or where a formal submission would be preferable.

Where liaison with the press or public is necessary, we can undertake local consultation ourselves or bring-in and work alongside experienced professionals to handle PR while we concentrate on technical matters. We always expect to speak directly to Planning Committees, focusing on the most important areas of objection or a scheme’s main benefits.

In an environment where legislation, policy and the market are constantly changing, we make sure that we keep in touch with news, new developments, trends and intelligence. Our planners are all active members of networking forums or working groups, and regularly attend briefing sessions, seminars and networking events.

Experience + Efficiency = Value for Money

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As Chartered Town Planners, all our professional staff are required to maintain the standards of the Royal Town Planning Institute by undertaking Continuous Professional Development (CPD); and we also make sure we meet and exceed industry standards and those of our competitors. Click the logo to visit the site.

This year’s survey – the 27th edition of Planning’s annual report – was completed by 120 firms from across the sector. The overall impression from planning consultants on the future of their market is one of gradually improving confidence. An average ten per cent increase in fee income is predicted for next year, and a 14.5 per cent fee increase for the next two years. We rated in the Top Ten highest earning small firms nationally (firms with four planning fee earners or fewer)