A FORMER Kirklees planning chief has set up a new business – and says the timing could not be better.
Andy Rushby, previously assistant head of planning at Kirklees Council, has established Assent Planning Consultancy Ltd, a business aimed at guiding clients through the often difficult and complex world of the planning system.
“While the construction and development industry are still battling the effects of the recession, I can see that there are some green shoots of recovery emerging”, said Mr Rushby. “Some sites that were mothballed months ago are now going again, which is good news for all concerned.
“As the recovery continues, I hope that I can assist clients by working with them at all stages of the planning process – from their initial concepts to the realisation of their ideas – in order to minimise delays and costs in achieving success.”
Mr Rushby said companies needed help more than ever at a time when the Coalition Government was taking a fresh look at the planning process.
“One of the things to get across to clients is that local authority planning departments will not have the resources they previously had. Gone are the days when you could work with the case officer to make amendments to plans several times over. You need to get it right first time when you put in an application.
“And it saves a lot of time, stress and expense if you have someone to help who is familiar with the system and how it works.”
Mr Rushby said many companies could not raise the cash needed to move to purpose-built premises, and were aiming to make the most of what space they had.
Mr Rushby, who lives at Linthwaite, worked in local authority planning for more than 20 years, but said he knew the time was right to make a move into the private sector.
He said: “I had become increasingly frustrated with planning in the public sector as it struggles with increasing bureaucracy to a point where the process has become more important than the outcome.”
Mr Rushby said his view was that good planning should be about ensuring high-quality, sustainable development in the right place at the right time in a way that balances and protects the needs of people and places alike.
Wakefield-based Assent Planning Consultancy Ltd is part of the Assent Group, which also includes Assent Building Control Ltd, a well-established national approved inspector offering building control, fire safety and energy consultancy services to the development industry.
Richard Batte, director of Assent Building Control Ltd, said: “Assent is all about solving problems and getting development consent. We’re delighted to have someone of Andy’s skill and experience on board to help clients old and new achieve their objectives.”
