Planning & Engagement

Insight underpins everything we do. Our bespoke engagement strategies are informed by initial desktop research, in-person interviews and focus groups, and our own experience of working across more than 90% of local authorities in England. We map relevant stakeholders, assess the local political environment, determine effective messaging and audit digital accessibility to determine who the key stakeholders are and how to reach them most effectively. Whether to support the site selection process early in project development, or to keep abreast of local issues through ongoing development, we enable you to put your best foot forward, armed with a good understanding of the local outlook and messaging that resonates with the community and its elected representatives.

Engaging with stakeholders early and often throughout the development process is essential for planning success. We can help you build relationships with key individuals, from local neighbours to parish councillors, ward members, combined authority mayors and constituency MPs.  Our nationwide team brings deep local knowledge and established connections, enabling us to deliver genuine, meaningful engagement tailored to the unique needs of each community.

Our expert team develops consultation strategies that go beyond box-ticking exercises to facilitate meaningful consultation that helps improve developments and find positive outcomes for the communities where they are located. We manage every stage of the consultation process, including design and development of consultation materials, event management, and detailed feedback analysis and reporting.

Our digital engagement services make it easy for everyone to have their say in the planning process. We design and deliver high-quality, user-friendly consultation websites tailored to your project’s needs. Our platforms are built to the highest standards, providing accessible, transparent and engaging tools for public consultation.

Construction brings its own challenges, with the potential to adversely impact your reputation, if not properly handled. During this phase, we can provide a ready interface between our clients, local residents and other key stakeholders: fielding routine inquiries, issuing community newsletters and hosting Community Liaison Groups, where the development is of an appropriate scale or complexity.  

Construction can also be an opportunity to showcase aspects of your development (e.g. skills, apprenticeships, affordable housing). A programme of stakeholder engagement, promotion of local procurement opportunities via ‘Meet the Buyer’ style events and site visits can provide positive media content as you move towards the sales or operational stage of your project. 

Once homes are occupied or a facility becomes operational, we can provide sensitive post-construction communications to support clients, should defects or building safety issues emerge. We have a specialism in building safety comms, working with developers and freeholders to deliver timely, transparent updates on remedial works to leaseholders and residents. This includes continuous social monitoring to spot and address emerging risks, careful message development to maintain trust, and intensive inbox management to ensure concerns are handled quickly and empathetically throughout the remediation process.

We help clients build meaningful, long-term relationships with councillors, MPs, officers and other local leaders as part of wider regional engagement. While often undertaken as part of live development projects, this work can also support future development ambitions, partnership building and opportunities to position services to local authorities. We design and deliver strategic engagement programmes, including supporting clients at sector and party political conferences, arranging introductions and helping to host receptions and fringe events. Our role is to ensure clients meet the people who matter, understand local priorities, and develop credible, trusted relationships that open doors and strengthen their position over time.