Over the course of their work, practices often become well-versed in local planning policies. Some decide to diversify into planning consultancy, promoting a planning service as a complement to their design work or as a separate source of income.
Philip Waddy is Chair of the RIBA Expert Advisory Group for Planning. His own practice, West Waddy ADP, took the decision to diversify almost 20 years ago. Today, West Waddy ADP has the same number of accredited planners as it has architects.
"If you are familiar with local plan policies and how they are addressed, and perhaps even know the planning officers who will handle the application, there is no reason why you cannot provide a planning service," argues Waddy.
Around half of their planning consultancy work does not involve the practice’s own architects; it might consist of advisory input into external projects that have run into problems. The practice’s planners will also look proactively at site opportunities; the practice can then put together a feasibility proposal that it can present to potential clients, generating its own work.
Many small practices might already be offering a certain amount of planning advice when talking to potential clients; private domestic clients might even expect this on small projects. Waddy suggests that practices can formalise this by offering an explicit planning consultancy service and charging for it.
There are several ways a practice might go about this. Architects could simply become more proactive in offering planning and development advice, based on their local experience. Another option would be to employ a Chartered Town Planner.
Alternatively, an architect might choose to formally advance their planning knowledge to gain associate membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute, and the right to use AssocRTPI after their name.
There is, of course, a significant difference between the expertise that chartered planners are able to offer compared to that of architects relying largely on local knowledge and project experience.
Riette Oosthuizen heads the specialist planning team at HTA Design. "While the process of planning in relation to fairly small-scale residential and extension schemes is straightforward and more of an administrative task," she points out, "the process becomes much more complex for larger-scale residential and regeneration proposals."
She is concerned that working as a planner without appropriate RTPI accreditation risks undervaluing what planners do. "Planners understand the contextual, economic and technical constraints that need to be considered in more complex development propositions. It requires specialist skills."
This is an important point. Waddy counsels that practices should be honest about the level of planning expertise they are offering and never pretend to be qualified for larger schemes when they are not.
Architect and planner Colin Haylock offers similar advice. "Practices have to know their own limitations and ask themselves, 'Is this passing beyond the point at which I can advise?' There is always the option of bringing in and briefing a qualified planning consultant."
He also points out professional liability concerns. Any practice looking to diversify into planning consultancy would need to be very clear with their insurers about exactly what services they plan to offer.
Nevertheless, Haylock takes the pragmatic view that the more informed architects are about planning, the better for everyone.
"There is no protection of title in planning, unlike architecture, so anyone can set themselves up as a planning expert. Many small practices are giving planning advice and many will be in a good position to advise on small-scale projects."
Philip Waddy predicts that in response to the growing complexity of the planning system, it will become the norm for medium and large practices to have in-house planning resources within ten or fifteen years.
As planning consultants charge by the hour, like lawyers, they can often generate a more reliable and profitable source of income than their architect colleagues, he adds.
Thanks to Philip Waddy, Partner, West Waddy ADP; Riette Oosthuizen, Partner, HTA Design; Colin Haylock, Principal, Haylock Planning and Design.
Text by Neal Morris. This is a Professional Feature edited by the RIBA Practice team. Send us your feedback and ideas
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Posted on 7 March 2019.
