Masterplanning

Document with visuals describing the estate or business as a baseline to work from when developing future considerations or to aid discussions with stakeholders or potential investors. This can include plans and text concerning:

• Land use: agricultural, leisure, commercial, residential, green energy structures
• Resources: woodland, waterbodies, buildings
• Statutory infrastructure: transport networks, oil pipelines, electricity routes (HV, LV), communication structures
• Tenancy types: agricultural, commercial, industrial, residential
• Legal status: entails, trusts, partnerships, covenants
• Designations: SSSI, AONB, catchment areas, planning policy

This expands on the previous document, whereby the site or estate is considered in relation to a much broader remit and will include:

• Local, regional and national legislation and designations adjacent and near to the site/estate
• Markets, geography, socioeconomics, transport networks, employment needs
• Site and local constraints and opportunities
• Flooding and drainage considerations and strategies
• Estate / business / personal challenges, ambitions, strengths, preferences, disinclinations

Visual and descriptive document taking the outcomes of the scoping exercise and telling the story of the future planned for the estate / business as an illustrative guide for investors, stakeholders, planning authorities and local communities. This interprets:

• The ethos
• The ‘who, what, why, when and how’
• What it’ll look like
• Benefits it will bring to the estate/business and the wider communities
• Conservation undertakings and improvements
• Timescales and phasing

Various documents can be produced for local planning authorities, some of which may be created in collaboration with other consultants. For example:

• Design and access statement
• Landscape and visual impact assessment
• Location and local context plan
• Sustainable drainage (SuDS) strategy
• Sustainable transport (Sustrans) strategy

Biodiversity Net Gain will become mandatory for most developments in England in November 2023 and extended to small developments in April 2024. This will affect landowners in two ways,

…as a direct influence on a landowner’s own development plans on their own land;

…and, as a potential source of income for their conservation efforts where other developers are unable to meet their responsibilities on their site

A document illustrating the current land and its conservation efforts can aid discussions with financial organisations, and also in collaborating with conservation organisations and advisors.

Working with environmental and conservation experts, a range of documents and plans can be produced showing:

• Natural resources: woodland, waterbodies, meadow, ditches, pasture
• River catchment areas
• Habitat diversity and distribution
• Species diversity and distribution
• Historical habitat and species diversity and distribution
• Land use and agricultural activities

Document or booklet describing and illustrating the history of a site, estate, landscape or garden for use as reference for a restoration project, a sympathetic design evolution, a visitor guidebook, a business prospectus for investors or an aid for discussions with local authorities and historical organisations.

The research is collated in a descriptive and visual format tailored to suit the anticipated audience, giving a variety of sources and materials, including:

• Maps and plans
• Photographs, sketches, drawings, etchings and paintings
• Diaries, planting plans, order books, invoices and supplier’s information
• Contemporary local and national context