Hume Planning Consultancy provides strategic development solutions by achieving planning permission in a highly structured administrative and political system and climate, thereby creating beneficial value to the development industry and private landowners.
Led by Alister Hume, the team have a record of delivery of strategic land allocations via the local plan system. Evidence shows the skill of strategic land promotion is to anticipate directions of growth and to promote the benefits of development in advance of the local plan review process. The experience of the Hume Planning team provides clients with a better understanding of the level of risk before making long term investment decisions.
Hume Planning’s approach to the strategic land promotion process involves four main stages;
- The assessment of demographic growth forecasts and brownfield site capacity for the individual district. The consideration of political and environmental constraints shaping the potential capacity for future growth within each district area is then examined. These conclusions provide an important context for understanding the development pressures and level of growth likely to be required in each local authority area.
- Once the level of housing pressure has been anticipated, the strategic land team utilise their experience of identifying the most sustainable locations for growth in each district. The varied constraints and opportunities provided for growth that will affect the most reasoned direction of expansion of individual settlements are then assessed. These initial stages of the process can be carried out either direct for landowners or on behalf of housebuilders who are seeking to focus upon opportunities in particular geographical areas.
- The Hume Planning team have experience of land ownership searches and land assembly and option negotiations on behalf of housebuilders. Hume Planning is also able to work direct for the landowner to promote the land via the planning process, assembling a project team and promoting the land. This provides a direct relationship between the consultant team and the landowner which some land owners prefer as this does not involve any promotional agreement with a developer or housebuilder.
- Once these stages are completed, the team prepare a planning strategy for the promotion of the land through the different stages of the local plan process. This will normally involve an assessment of planning constraints including a health check of ecological, highway, landscape, archaeological, noise, air quality, trees, drainage and flood risk issues etc. The strategy is adapted through each stage of the local plan process and includes appearances before the Inspector at Local Plan Examinations.
Alister Hume was appointed as the Strategic Land Manager at Hillreed Homes in 2001 and with the Managing Director, Tony Hillier, built up a land bank of over 3,000 dwellings before the company was sold to Persimmon Homes South East in October 2012.
Promotional Skills
The key skills that Hume Planning believe are essential to successful strategic land promotion include the following;
- The site appraisal stage should identify the best opportunities in the first place.
- The Hume Planning Team must have planning conviction about the merits of the site and that development impacts can be properly mitigated. Proposals must represent a truly sustainable option for growth.
- Hume Planning has a range of specialist consultants that they work well with and can coordinate so that the resources of the clients/landowners are used effectively and are not wasted on unnecessary duplication.
- The team has good relationships and a credible reputation with LPA officers across the south east which is built on a past track record of delivery.
- Hume Planning has a reputation for engaging with Parish Councils and local community groups to understand local issues. The team have been involved in a number of Neighbourhood Plan workshops and weekend exhibitions.
- The team work in a focused way and the resources of clients are used very economically and the level or planning risk is reviewed on an ongoing basis.
- The promotion of strategic land can take many years and therefore confidence and trust in the development team is essential. This is an aspect of the strategic promotion that Hume Planning particularly prides itself on. This is emphasised by the number of long term clients of the practice.
Recent Strategic Land Promotion Record
Thanet Local Plan (Adopted July 2020)
Allocation secured for 250 dwellings (Land at Nash Road/Manston Road, Margate).
Maidstone Local Plan (Regulation 19 March 2022)
Lidsing Garden Community, a mixed garden community allocation which comprises upto 2,000 dwellings, employment land, village centre, school and health infrastructure and represents a core component of the spatial strategy of the borough.
The Practice has also been successful in securing an allocation for 67 dwellings for the landowner and Countryside Homes at Ware Street at Bearsted.
Swale Local Plan
Promotion of central parts of a large landholding to the East of Faversham close to the Brenley Corner/ M2 junction which in total, represents a strategic allocation of 3,500 dwellings.
Dover Local Plan (Regulation 19, October 2022)
Successful inclusion of large housing development allocations at Poplar Meadow, Sandwich, Freemans Way, Deal, and Stones Cross, Sandwich, as well as the KCC Depot at Sandwich and land at Worth following earlier local plan promotional work by the Practice.
The Practice is also assisting Dover District Council’s Estate team in bringing forward a mixed use allocation including up to 350 dwellings (Policy SAP28) in Elvington within the district.
South East Lincolnshire Local Plan (Adopted March 2019)
Strategic allocations at Boston and Spalding secured for Broadgate Home following promotion and appearance at the Local Plan Examination.
