Planning services from Planning Geek

Planning Geek is more than a planning reference website. We are a planning consultancy helping homeowners, developers, businesses, landowners and rural clients across England.

Our planning services range from an initial strategy call through to planning applications, permitted development advice, certificates of lawfulness, appeals and enforcement work. Where a project needs specialist technical input, we can also work alongside architects, engineers, ecologists and other trusted professionals.

Planning services for projects large and small

Sometimes you know exactly what you need. At other times the first job is simply working out the best route. We can help with both.

For the wider policy background, our planning policy section explains how national and local policy fit together, while the government publishes its detailed Planning Practice Guidance on GOV.UK.

• Planning strategy and development potential
• Householder and full planning applications
• Permitted development and prior approval
• Certificates of Lawfulness
• Planning appeals
• Planning enforcement advice and responses
• Changes of use and property development strategy
• Coordination with specialist consultants where a project needs extra technical evidence

Applications, permitted development and certificates

If you need permission for development, our planning applications section explains the main application routes and the evidence that may be needed. We can prepare and submit applications, deal with the local planning authority and keep the application moving.

Not every project needs a planning application. A large part of our work involves checking whether a proposal falls within permitted development rights or whether a Certificate of Lawfulness would give you useful written certainty.

Appeals and enforcement

A refusal is not always the end of the road. We can review the decision, look at whether changes would improve the proposal and advise whether a fresh application or a planning appeal is the better route.

If the council has contacted you about a possible breach, timing matters. Our planning enforcement service can help you understand what the council is asking, what information to provide and what options are available before the position becomes harder to unwind.

Development strategy and specialist input

For land and more complicated sites, the most valuable work often happens before an application is submitted. We can help identify planning constraints, realistic opportunities, fallback positions and the evidence likely to matter to the decision maker.

Some projects need specialist reports or drawings. Rather than pretending one consultant can do everything, we can work with the right people for matters such as architecture, highways, ecology, heritage, drainage, trees and other technical evidence. Our conservation and protected sites section is a useful starting point where a site has heritage or environmental constraints.

Advice call, Planning Review or full instruction?

If you mainly need to talk through a planning problem and decide what to do next, you can book a paid planning consultation with Ian. It is often the quickest way to get direction without committing to a full piece of work.

If you need a defined site-specific planning question investigated and answered in writing, our Planning Review service is designed for that. We agree the question, scope and fee before the review starts.

If you already know that you want Planning Geek to take the project on, request a planning fee proposal and tell us as much as you can about the site, the proposal and any deadlines.

Why use Planning Geek?

The consultancy grew out of the Planning Geek resource, so our advice is grounded in the same practical approach as the website. We explain the planning position in plain English, tell you where the risks are and focus on the route most likely to move your project forward.

We will also tell you when a planning application is not the best answer. Sometimes permitted development, a certificate, a revised scheme or simply better evidence is the smarter route.

Planning Services Page Updated: 26th September 2026