Latest News
February 2012
Chelmsford's new urban neighbourhood gets go-ahead
A project for the £100 million redevelopment of a site in Chelmsford town centre in which Beacon Planning acted as heritage adviser to The Genesis Housing Group, got the go-ahead at the Essex town's Borough Council at the end of January.
Hotel plans for derelict pub site on A505
Beacon Planning has been commissioned to work on plans on a project to demolish and replace a disused public house and surrounding site near to Royston in North Hertfordshire with a new hotel of circa 70 rooms.
Working with Cambridge architects, Barber Casanovas Ruffles and on behalf of the developer The Findlay Duthie Partnership, Beacon is working on a new planning application to transform the site of the former pub – The Horse & Groom – on the busy A505, the Baldock Road, near Steeple Morden.
The site has been derelict for approximately 10 years and two previous planning applications were unsuccessful last decade. Each previous application received support from Royston Town Council and, more broadly, from many locals who were anxious to see the disused building replaced.
The developer has identified an increasing demand for hotel beds in this area to the south of Cambridge and with the site keenly placed en route to both Stansted and Luton Airports, Beacon Planning has been commissioned to review and update the previous plans and architectural designs for an international branded hotel for submission to South Cambridgeshire District Council in March 2012.
In working on the new application, Beacon Planning associate and conservation specialist Charmain Hawkins reviewed historical documents which suggest that in the late 18th or early 19th Century, the site may well have been used as a turnpike - or toll gate – so the new hotel will be on what has always been a busy route for travellers crossing Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
January 2012
London 2012 sees Beacon Planning going for capital growth
Beacon Planning, which recently ranked in the eastern region as having one of the main planning teams available in Cambridge, is going for growth this year with the announcement of the launch of its London office this month.
The new London operation is based in offices in Clerkenwell and is headed by director, Lee Melin who is a chartered town planner and who has two decades of experience in private practice in consultancies such as Turley Associates, RMJM and, most recently, Bidwells - where he was a divisional partner and head of planning in its Chelmsford office.
Beacon Planning was established in Cambridge in 2008 and is already identified as one of the top 100 highest fee earning planning consultancies in the UK and among the country's leading consultancies in the heritage and education sectors.
It has already worked on a number of projects in London and the surrounding home counties for both residential domestic and commercial private clients.
The consultancy has also given historic building advice on elements of the Crossrail scheme and the O2 arena and has worked for the London Borough of Redbridge in assessing the authority's conservation areas.
Lee Melin is tasked with consolidating Beacon's heritage credentials in the capital as well as growing its mainstream commercial planning services to existing London-based clients and new clients with projects in the capital and the home counties.
Working in conjunction with Beacon's directors Andy Thompson and Dr Jon Burgess, Lee will ensure the integration between the Cambridge and London offices to offer the full range of Beacon Planning services and expertise from both locations.
December 2011
Survey ranks Beacon Planning in premier league
A national survey has identified Cambridge-based planning consultancy, Beacon Planning, among the top rank of consultancies locally and across the UK and also as one of the highest earning companies in the heritage sector, in which the firm specialises.
The annual survey, conducted by Planning magazine – the trade journal of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) – reveals that Beacon Planning's fee income had risen by close to 20 per cent over the past year, ranking it in 54th place as one of the highest earning consultancies in the UK.
In the eastern region rankings, Beacon's planning team was identified as one of the main teams in Cambridge.
The survey sees Beacon outperforming many of its peer planning consultancies in the area and also the conventional multi-disciplinary firms who offer planning as just one of a number of property services.
When it comes to specific sectors of income from planning portfolios, Beacon Planning is identified as the UK's 4th highest earning consultancy in the heritage category and was only just outside the top 15, nationally, for its work in the education sector.
Beacon Planning is predicting an increase of 10 per cent in fee income, at a time when similar companies are not predicting any growth or even negative growth.
The survey's ranking of Beacon Planning reinforces the consultancy's own bullish position which, since September this year (2011), has seen it move to new premises which are double the size of its original office and increase its headcount to twelve in the new year (January) when it adds a new London-base to its current Cambridge operation.
Commenting on the survey, director, Andy Thompson – who set up Beacon Planning in 2008 with co-director, Dr Jon Burgess - said: "Out of over 150 consultancies surveyed, only seven are predicting growth in fee income at our level of 10 per cent or above.
While we are growing and expanding into new markets, with an office in London opening soon, our strategy is based on recruitment and resources which will increase our workload and fee income.
Only by keeping the business so lean and focused, can we respond to the needs of our clients quickly and effectively.
We plan to improve our ranking in next year's survey with the boost given to us by a London presence and improving our performance in the core services we provide."
November 2011
Workshop builds on interest in Peterborough City Centre Conservation Area
A workshop in Peterborough on 10th November saw people with an interest in place-making and conservation take practical steps towards understanding and ensuring the future of the city's historic assets, according to Beacon Planning's Joanna Burton who led the event.
At the workshop – which was part of a series of events in the Peterborough Buildings in Need Project – Joanna built on the interest shown by people at a previous lecture on the special character of Peterborough City Centre which she gave in the city in October.
Billed as a "Conservation Area Appraisal Masterclass", Joanna took groups through the theory underpinning conservation areas alongside practical exercises to show how to appraise the character of historic areas, and gave expert advice on how the special character of conservation areas can be enhanced and maintained.
The Buildings in Need Project – which is supported by Opportunity Peterborough, the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage and Peterborough City Council – aims to increase the understanding and appreciation of Peterborough's built environment through the ages as well as raise awareness of what can be done actively by the community to prevent our heritage assets becoming 'at risk'.
Resources and materials from the workshop can be found at: http://peterboroughbuildingsinneed.wordpress.com/resources/conservation-area-appraisal-masterclass-jo-burton-november-2011/
BEACON REACHES 10
Following on from the appointment of an Office Manager and Planning Consultant in October, Beacon's tenth employee joins the staff rota this month. Rachel Leung is Beacon's new Heritage Consultant and she will add to the company's specialist heritage expertise, working primarily on Beacon's wide-ranging conservation related projects. Rachel joins Beacon from Cotswold Archaeology where she gained experience researching, recording and analysing historic structures.
Rachel has also previously worked for the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and for the Council of the Isles of Scilly on the regeneration of the historic environment of Porthcressa. She has a particular interest in industrial structures and the creative re-use of historic buildings.
October 2011
What makes Peterborough city centre a 'Conservation Area'?
What is a conservation area and what features give Peterborough city centre this protected status when it comes to planning and development?
These are questions which Beacon Planning's Joanna Burton will be answering in conjunction with members of the public at a free event in the city next Tuesday lunchtime (25thOctober 1pm-1.45pm).
The lunchtime lecture is just one of an ongoing series of free talks, events and workshops at St John the Baptist Church in the city centre which are part of the Peterborough Buildings in Need Project.
The project itself – which is supported by Opportunity Peterborough, the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage and Peterborough City Council – aims to increase the understanding and appreciation of Peterborough's built environment through the ages as well as raise awareness of what can be done actively by the community to prevent our heritage assets becoming 'at risk'.
The whole Peterborough area contains over 1,000 listed buildings and the city has a total of 29 conservation areas.
At the lunchtime lecture on Tuesday 25th, Joanna will be elaborating on work to appraise the city centre conservation area which Beacon Planning began earlier this year to identify the city centre's unique characteristics and distinctiveness, as well as making recommendations which seek to preserve and enhance its special architectural and historic interest.
At another event in another city centre location on Thursday 10 November (10am-12noon), Joanna Burton will lead a Conservation Area Appraisal Masterclass - which is a workshop event open to the public too.
Attendance at the lunchtime lecture next week (25th October) and the November masterclass– as with all other events in the Building in Need Project series – is free with booking required for the November event only.
Further information at www.PeterboroughBuildingsinNeed.wordpress.com
September 2011
Students shine for Beacon-sponsored awards
Two students from Norwich City College received congratulations from Beacon Planning's Joanna Burton when she presented them with awards at a ceremony held recently to celebrate the success of students in the College's further education awards scheme.
Two of the awards presented as part of the scheme this year are sponsored by Beacon Planning - which is working locally on a mixed-use development scheme to the east of Norwich - and went to students studying within the College's School of Technology, Environment and Sports.
Both awards were for outstanding achievement and were presented to winners Charlotte Palmer and Simon Burrows, both of whom combine work with study on the operations and maintenance engineering BTEC national course.
Both award-winning students work as maintenance engineers – Charlotte for Bernard Matthews Farms and Simon for the National Grid.
Congratulating Charlotte and Simon on their awards, Joanna Burton said: "To combine work and study successfully is an achievement in itself and Beacon Planning are really pleased to be supporting Norwich City College in recognising this special level of commitment shown by these students."
Charlotte and Simon will now continue to the final year of their two-year qualification.
Beacon adds to roll-call at new Cambridge HQ
September sees Beacon Planning Ltd announce the appointment of two new recruits as well as a move to bigger premises in a neighbouring office suite.
Jo Accorsini joins in the new role of office manager and Charlotte Burton joins as a planning consultant just as Beacon moves from number 8 to number 7 at Quy Court in the village of Stow-cum-Quy to occupy a suite of offices which is almost twice the size of the consultancy's original premises.
As Beacon Planning's first office manager since the consultancy was established by directors Andy Thompson and Dr Jon Burgess in 2008, Jo Accorsini will be responsible for back-office systems, procedures and services which support and ensure the smooth-running of the core business.
Previously, Jo has been a co-director of several companies and has had senior administrative positions in local government, the University of Cambridge and with charity, The Papworth Trust.
Charlotte Burton – who has her first degree in Geography from the University of Cambridge and is part-way through an MSc in Spatial Planning at University College London – joins Beacon from Natural England where she was regional advisor for the East of England on the organisation's Walking for Health initiative.
Burwash Manor: new plans are the very model of farm and rural diversification
The brief to develop and enhance a niche retail setting and to develop an associated local arts and community centre on a working, organic farm on the edge of Cambridge city is a prime example of what the best rural diversification projects are achieving in the countryside, according to Beacon Planning.
Plans for the expansion of Burwash Manor – the boutique retail complex of independent shops, tearoom and day spa in the village of Barton – have just been submitted to South Cambridgeshire District Council by Beacon.
The plans build on the existing retail scheme which was established in 1997 by owner Michael Radford as part of the Manor farm's original diversification programme.
The proposed development – which has had welcome support from Barton Parish Council and villagers as well as Burwash Manor customers - includes three new shop units and a restaurant plus a permanent building for art exhibitions and educational events in a new, third courtyard area.
Crucial to the plans and, according to Beacon, what makes it a model rural diversification project, is the very local element of the project; this will see the expansion of existing independent retailers on-site as well attracting new businesses, which are, together, anticipated to add 15-20 jobs to the core of 60 staff employed at the Burwash Manor complex already.
The new plans also have sustainability at heart in terms of on-site renewable energy generation beginning with ground-source heat pumps and solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and, in time, the erection of a wind turbine. Together, these will enable the installation of free electric car charging points.
Burwash Manor is within Barton village's Conservation Area and a number of buildings within the setting are Listed, the Manor House itself is Grade II* Listed. The proposals, if approved, would see the restoration of a thatched roof on one of the refurbished buildings adjacent to the Grade I Listed Parish church, using straw grown on the farm.
Beacon Planning, with Thriplow-based architects, Wilson and MacGarry worked in liaison with English Heritage and conservation officers in preparing the final set of plans.
Speaking about the plans, owner Michael Radford said "At Burwash Manor, diversification means that what started as a produce stall with honesty box at the farm gate in the 1980s has now become a busy retail destination which attracts customers from near and far.
"We believe these plans - developed with Beacon and the architects – upgrade what we have here but without losing the essential character which customers love - the fact that they are still visiting a working farm.
"If approved, these plans will offer Burwash Manor customers the greater choice, which they are looking for, and provide the local area with the quality of location where visitors will want to spend their time."
The plans are with the planning department of South Cambridgeshire District Council and should be discussed at committee later this year. If approved, work is scheduled to begin on-site in January 2012.
Beacon glows as business grows
Business is booming for Beacon Planning Ltd whose plans for expansion see the consultancy take on new staff and move into bigger premises this month (September).
Beacon Planning - which specialises in the development of historic buildings, areas and sensitive sites – was ranked in the top sixty of the UK's high-earning planning consultancies in Planning magazine's annual industry survey last year.
This year (2011), according to directors Dr Jon Burgess and Andy Thompson - who established the consultancy in 2008 – looks set to be Beacon's best yet with the first quarter of this financial year seeing a turnover which is 30 per cent up on the equivalent period in 2010.
This current quarter sees Beacon making two new appointments which will add to the ranks of its fee-earning and support staff and also a move to bigger premises at Quy Court in the Cambridgeshire village of Stow-cum-Quy, where the company has been based since 2008.
The new office of 140 sq m (1,500 sq ft) of workspace across two floors, is almost double that of Beacon's original office in a neighbouring suite and will, say the directors, give room to accommodate the consultancy's planned business expansion.
While Beacon Planning's core work has been within the Cambridge area – recent high profile projects include planning applications for a new library at Christ's College as well as the residential conversion of the 19th Century flour mill as part of the cb1 development of the city's railway station – the geographic spread of its work is widening and currently includes Yorkshire, Lancashire and Wiltshire.
Director, Andy Thompson, says: "It is a rare combination of our general planning and specialist heritage expertise, the variety of our client base – private, institutional, educational and corporate – and our geographical reach which has seen Beacon succeed at a time when some larger, conventional consultancies are seeing a drop in income from planning fees.
"From our new, larger premises and with the addition to our core team at Quy Court, we're confident that Beacon will more than hold its own in the coming twelve months."
Revealing work on west country manor restoration
Working with Snell David Architects to restore and modernise a west country manor with a Grade II* Listing, Beacon Planning has sourced original architect's drawings from 1817 as well as revealing an interesting post-1945 feature of the property's décor in the course of preparing the Heritage Statement.
The property is near to Devizes and with extensive renovation and modernisation plans – which cover work in every room in the house as well as improvements within the property's curtilage and parkland garden setting – Beacon Planning was engaged by Snell David Architects to undertake an extensive historic building analysis ahead of Listed building and planning applications which are now being submitted.
Beacon Planning associate and conservation specialist, Charmain Hawkins undertook the pains taking work of an historic building analysis at the county records office in Wiltshire, accompanied by ongoing discussion and consultation with the County's conservation officer and English Heritage ahead of the applications.
In the process, drawings from 1817 – when the property was extended - were discovered at the county records office. These were original drawings of architect Richard Ingleman from Nottinghamshire and who designed the former circular jail building in Devizes.
A thatched dairy to the rear of the main house was part of this 1817 set of alterations and additions, which also included the development of a number of estate cottages. It was also the year in which the grounds were 'emparked'.
Charmain's detective work also uncovered the undocumented history of the property which includes a series of pencil marks on a door surround showing the various heights of the children of a family who lived in the home after the Second World War.
Determination of the planning application is expected later this year (2011) and the architect is working to a schedule with expected completion of the work next year (2012).
Planning consultancy supports Norwich City College awards scheme
Beacon Planning has confirmed its sponsorship support for this year's Norwich City College's Further Education (FE) Awards.
Beacon is sponsoring two awards which will be presented to students from within Norwich City College's School of Technology, Environment and Sports at a special ceremony at the Forum next month (14 September).
The Further Education Awards celebrate the achievements of students - many of whom overcome adversity - who show a high level of commitment and hard work in order to attain an award.
Beacon is sponsoring two awards which will be presented to students from within the College's School of Technology, Environment and Sports at a special ceremony at the Forum in Norwich on 14 September.
The FE Awards, like the College's other award schemes, receive sponsorship support from a number of companies and organisations with business interests in Norwich and the surrounding area.
Currently, Beacon is working on a mixed-use development scheme to the east of the city and, earlier in the year, worked on a project in Cromer on the north Norfolk Coast, on which it provided historic building and planning advice.
The first sponsorship association with Norwich City College's award scheme was in 2009 - just a year Beacon Planning was founded by directors Jon Burgess and Andy Thompson.
In announcing this new sponsorship, Andy Thompson said: "We are glad to be renewing our links with the City College's award scheme.
"With the spotlight on university fees, the role that further education plays in the learning and wider social lives of young adults is often overlooked.
"Yet for many people, FE is the stepping stone from which they progress into higher education or towards successful careers."
August 2011
Demolition blazes trail for new fire station
The demolition of Cambridge's old fire station this summer is making way for a modern replacement as part of a development adjacent to the city's historic Parker's Piece amenity and a project in which Beacon Planning has played a crucial role.
The new state-of-the-art fire station is due to be operational at the end of 2012, but Beacon Planning's association with the landmark Parkside project stretches back beyond the original planning permission in May 2007, through directors Jon Burgess and Andy Thompson who worked on the proposals before forming Beacon Planning Ltd in 2008.
Prior to appointment by Grosvenor Developments in December 2009 to amend the previously consented scheme and bring a new one forward, Beacon were the planning and heritage consultants on the project.
Beacon also advised on and secured permission for the re-location of the temporary fire station to premises on Coldham's Lane in the city while the Parkside site is redeveloped.
As well as the replacement fire station, the Parkside scheme will see 99 apartments – some within a seven storey tower – and a retail unit in a revised scheme designed by Glen Howells Architects.
Threshing barn's contemporary extension completed
A project to build a contemporary extension to a traditional barn has just been completed in a project which saw Beacon Planning working with Nicolas Tye Architects (www.nicolastyearchitects.com) at Dovecote Barn in the Hertfordshire village of Great Amwell.
The original scheme to convert historic barns in the village, which is close to the town of Ware, dates back to 2003 when planning permission was granted for conversion to residential use.
In 2008 Beacon Planning worked with the architects to secure permission from East Herts District Council for a proposal which has now seen a garden room added to the rear elevation of the former threshing barn in one of the converted residences.
While not having Listed status, the three bay threshing barn is within the Great Amwell Conservation Area and the site, itself, sits within the defined area of the Lee Valley Regional Park and the Metropolitan Green Belt.
Beacon Planning's Charmain Hawkins commented on the sensitive and practical approach to the planning proposal taken by the local authority's officers and members in considering the proposal.
She said: "The result is a new extension which is functional yet still in-keeping with the feel of the original barn and the wider residential conversion.
"It's a project in which the needs of all interested parties have been respected and fulfilled."
For more information about Dovecote Barn see: www.nicolastyearchitects.com
Beacon has no reservations as £10m hotel project gathers pace
The £10 million transformation of an 18th Century country house in Colchester, for which Beacon Planning were the planning and heritage consultants, has gathered pace this summer with the demolition of a 1980s extension now well underway.
The project – which was granted approval by Colchester Borough Council last autumn – will see the Grade II* Listed Wivenhoe House transformed into a country house hotel which will also be home to a hotel school - a UK first within the hotel and education sectors.
The initiative of locating a hotel school entirely within a working hotel is led by a partnership between Edge – the independent education foundation – and the University of Essex which has just announced that the hospitality education element of the project will be provided by the University's academic partner Kaplan Open Learning.
The refurbishment of Wivenhoe House will restore much of its Georgian and Victorian finery and provide 16 individual suites and bedrooms. The 1980s extension is making way for a new garden wing with a further 24 bedrooms, a bar and brasserie, and conference and meeting facilities.
The historic house will link with the new wing through a long gallery taking the form of a Victorian garden wall when viewed from the outside.
The planning application was co-ordinated by Beacon Planning working in conjunction with the project design team including Bond Bryan Architects.
Beacon also gave specialist advice on alterations to the existing building and the design of the new extension in the grounds following discussions with groups such as the Victorian Society, the Georgian Group and English Heritage.
* Image courtesy of © Bond Bryan Architects
July 2011
City centre setting and college specifics considered in Christ's College library development plans
Plans for a new library and study centre at Christ's College in Cambridge, which were submitted to Cambridge City Council in June, saw Beacon act as planning consultants and support the College's application with a Planning Statement, Historic Buildings Assessment, Heritage Statement and give more general advice on planning and heritage issues and public art.
If approved, the new multi-million pound development will see designs from Rick Mather Architects fulfill Christ's brief to create a library and 'break-out' space in a location and setting which will serve the whole College community.
The project will involve the replacement of the 1970s library building with a striking new building connecting to the fine, existing late 19th Century Bodley Library, with a covered court formed between it and the south wing of the College's historic First Court.
In undertaking the work, Beacon Planning ensured that the plans respect the statutory constraints of this unique location which is within the College but has a public face onto a street in the heart of Cambridge's Historic Core Conservation Area.
Christ's College was founded in the early 16th Century and its buildings and courtyards associated with the plans for the new library project are Grade I Listed and, therefore, nationally important 'heritage assets' as defined by PPS5 (Planning Policy Statement 5).
The project provides 1,400 sq m of new build with a further 520 sq m of existing buildings to be upgraded. Fundamental to ensuring that the new building respects its context was Beacon Planning's work to identify buildings, features and settings of lesser significance. This enabled the architects to site the new building where there would be less impact on features of higher quality.
Work in advising Christ's College's submission to the City Council also considered the plans in terms of the scale, design, mass and materials of the proposed development to show clearly how the area outside the College would be affected.
Recent development in the area adjacent to the proposed library, which overlooks the recently re-opened thoroughfare of Christ's Lane, has seen a radical transformation with the development of an upmarket retail and residential mixed-use scheme. This has left the side of the College - where much of the new development would be - open to public view for the first time in many decades.
Beacon Planning also headed pre-submission discussions with English Heritage, Cambridge City Council and its Design and Conservation Panel.
The development is scheduled for determination by the middle of August 2011.
* Image courtesy of © Rick Mather Architects
Match day sees Beacon's Burgess fulfill lifetime ambition
The home match on 2 July between Ruby Super League teams Bradford Bulls and the Catalan Dragons was sponsored by Beacon Planning, giving director and lifelong Bulls fan, Jon Burgess the chance to celebrate the heritage of Bradford's Odsal Stadium with Beacon colleagues.
While Jon has been a Bulls fan in exile in Cambridgeshire since 1995, he has maintained his club affiliation down the decades, attending matches, when he can, with his more locally-based family and friends.
Jon fulfilled a lifetime ambition by sponsoring the match at Odsal. His earlier 'missionary' work saw him establish a rugby league side, which he captained, in the Cambridgeshire city of Peterborough.
In securing the support of Andy Thompson, for the sponsorship, Jon was quick to point out the importance of rugby league to this country's social history, as well as the historic credential of the Bulls' team and its stadium.
While the story of the how the Northern Union broke away from the Rugby Football Union in 1895 may have left some of his colleagues glazing over, they were more impressed when he told them that Odsal was the location for the opening scene of the Oscar-winning movie The King's Speech in recreating the original Wembley Stadium.
Jon's colleagues are unfamiliar with the traditions of rugby league – despite his frequent Monday morning post-match taster sessions during the season – but they confirm they enjoyed the weekend's Super League indoctrination.
* Image courtesy of © Gillian Duckett Photography
Rewarding conservation and heritage work at Fulbourn Manor
Beacon Planning is celebrating in the award success of one of its projects in Cambridgeshire which has been has been recognised by South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) in its 2011 Conservation Awards.
The accolade has been awarded to The Coach House and Stables scheme at Fulbourn Manor - a project which has given new life to a set of Grade II Listed outbuildings in which Beacon acted as heritage and planning consultants.
The bi-annual awards are presented by South Cambridgeshire District Council to recognise and reward best practice examples of building conservation and natural heritage.
The award was presented to George Collin and Sons for the repair and conversion work carried out to the historic outbuildings at Fulbourn Manor who accepted the award on behalf of the project team and the owners.
The Coach House and Stables - where the buildings have been restored and converted into two dwellings and two commercial units, with the residential element providing much-needed housing to rent in the village - is just one of seven projects in the whole of the South Cambridgeshire District to receive recognition in this year's awards.
The buildings at the Manor form part of the boundary to the graveyard of the Grade II* Listed parish church of St Vigor and the whole site falls within the Fulbourn Conservation Area.
Together with representatives Beacon Planning - who are based in the nearby village of Stow-cum-Quy – and architect Anil Barnes, who was formerly based in Cambridge, the Townleys worked to present an amended scheme which was approved by South Cambridgeshire District Council in January last year (2010).
The scheme was a particularly sensitive project given the historic importance of the site and involved lengthy negotiations with officers at SCDC and English Heritage following the refusal of the original scheme to which was submitted in 2009.
The work has been carried out to minimise the amount of external change and alteration as far as possible and internal work has been carried out with an emphasis on traditional materials and techniques. This was led by historic building work specialists George Collin & Sons Ltd of Kennett, near Newmarket.
Commenting on the award, Fulbourn Manor's owner Richard Townley said:
"We have rescued the buildings from the ravages of time in order to secure their future conservation by bringing them back in to use and so, to us, the accolade from South Cambridgeshire District Council is a testament to the expertise, endeavour and the persistence of all parties involved in this successful project."
Beacon Planning was supported in its work on the project by David Rutherford Highway & Transport Planning of Haslingfield, Applied Ecology Cambridge, Gardenworks – a Fulbourn company who advised and assisted with trees and Swaffham Bulbeck- based structural engineering consultants, AFP.
Other projects recognised by South Cambridgeshire in the 2011 Conservation Awards are: The Church of St Peter and St Paul, Steeple Morden; The River Mel, Meldreth & Melbourn; The Mary Challis Garden, Sawston; St John's Cottages and Meadow View, Horningsea; Haling Way on the River Cam, and Merrington Place, Impington.
Beacon role in landmark flour mill conversion plans
Developer, Hill Residential has called on the expertise of Beacon Planning in preparing the recent planning application for the conversion of Cambridge's landmark Flour Mill, which is one of the turn-key projects in the cb1 development project centred on Cambridge railway station.
Restoring the look of the flour mill's original 19th Century external features, as well as integrating new build apartments in the development, is central to the Hill Residential scheme and so, as heritage and conservation specialist planners at Beacon were consulted for historic building advice and to work on the plans with architects Pollard Thomas Edwards (PTEa).
The conversion of the flour mill to provide 19 new apartments, with commercial units at ground level, will restore and retain much of the external integrity of the original 1898 building.
For example, the roof was raised and altered in the 1950s to allow for new machinery to be installed. In the proposed scheme, this will be removed and replaced with a new roof far closer in form and profile to the late-Victorian design.
While the flour mill is not a Listed building, as one of Cambridge's few surviving industrial buildings, Beacon Planning's advice emphasised its historic significance and acknowledged how the building is a major landmark in the area.
Speaking about the recent planning application and PTEa's designs, Dr Jon Burgess, director, Beacon Planning said: "Decades of successive industrial use, in which the aesthetics of the building were not the main priority, make the reclaiming and restoration of the flour mill a tough-ask.
"Yet it is one of the city's few remaining industrial buildings and is cherished as a landmark by residents and visitors alike, as well as valued for its historic significance.
"It will be at the heart of Hill Residential's scheme which, like any successful conservation scheme, will see an old building restored to life for a very modern use."
The planning application was submitted last month (June).
* Images courtesy of © Pollard Thomas Edwards Architects
June 2011
Developing an inspirational educational environment in the centre of Cambridge
Planning advice from Beacon is helping ensure that a new location for the junior school of Cambridge's only 'all-through' girls' school will be ready to receive pupils from this autumn.
The location, on Chaucer Road in the city, will be the new home for the junior pupils of St Mary's School – an independent day and boarding school for girls aged 4-18 years.
Advising and acting on behalf of St Mary's School, Beacon Planning handled planning applications to the city council which will enhance and optimise the premises at Chaucer Road for creative use by the school.
The applications included an all-weather surface for sporting and play use to the rear of the building, as well as a new bridge for cyclists and pedestrians over Vicar's Brook to link the school building to an established path on the historic Coe Fen and to the city.
The Chaucer Road property – originally known as 'Birnam House' – was one of the first significant houses to be developed as part of the promotion in Victorian times of the Chaucer Road/Latham Road estate as an area of distinguished character and is now a Conservation Area.
For the past thirty years the building has been used by the University of Cambridge's Department of Architecture.
Andy Thompson, a director of Beacon Planning, said: "We have worked with St Mary's School before, most recently on a project for new educational facilities on its Bateman Street site and so Chaucer Road contrasted well.
"While the building is not Listed, it is regarded as one of the city's important Victorian properties and has been designated by the City Council as a building of local interest.
"Its use by St Mary's continues the building's educational heritage, and it will be pleasing to see it brought back to use – and life – again by the bright, young minds of St Mary's School."
* Images courtesy of © Tim Evans
Heritage statement helps Histon church with community hub
Heritage and historic buildings advice from Beacon Planning has played a part in plans for new community facilities in the Cambridgeshire village of Histon which got the go-ahead earlier this month (May).
South Cambridgeshire District Council approved plans for the St Andrew's Centre- a new community hub which will see the £1.6 million transformation of Histon's St Andrew's Church Halls on School Hill in the village into a brand new venue to meet a range of modern needs and functions.
The oldest part of the halls is the original 1839 school building. Various buildings have been added to the site during the past 170 years, including a first world war hospital ward.
The halls are well-used currently and are focal point for many village activities, but the fabric of many of the buildings is dilapidated and in dire need of modernisation.
The plans, which include the demolition of one building and its replacement with a new café, as well as the extension of an existing hall and the development of a new 150-seater hall, were drawn-up by local architects' practice, Archangel Ltd, spearheaded by Nigel Walter.
While none of the buildings within the scope of the St Andrew's Centre project are statutorily or locally listed, they do lie within the Histon Conservation Area and so Beacon Planning Ltd was engaged to complete a formal heritage statement ahead of the planning application which was submitted at the end of last year (2010).
Beacon's work was undertaken by Jenni Neilson and the remit of the work took into consideration the significance of the existing buildings, a timeline illustrating their past documented uses, as well as the merits of the proposed scheme in the context of the conservation area setting.
For more information about the St Andrew's Centre, Histon – visit www.standrewscentre.org.uk.
* Images courtesy of © Archangel Ltd
May 2011
New and old combine for hotel award nomination
A new hotel in an historic setting which called on Beacon's expertise to secure planning permission has been nominated for a building excellence award.
The new hotel, Holiday Inn Xpress at Whittlesford in Cambridgeshire is a finalist in the Local Authority Building Control East Anglia Building Excellence Awards and it was just one of a succession of planning permissions secured by Beacon Planning in the historic grounds of The Red Lion Hotel which dates back to the 13th Century.
The new hotel received planning permission in phase one of the wider project which included the extension and refurbishment of the existing and adjacent Listed building to provide improved dining and conference facilities which received permission last year (2010).
At the same time, permission was also secured for significant landscape improvements on the site which will enhance the setting of the adjacent Duxford Chapel - which is owned by English Heritage and also has listed building status as well as that of a scheduled ancient monument.
Heritage perspective on Chelmsford's new urban neighbourhood
Beacon Planning has acted as heritage adviser on the redevelopment of the former Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) central campus in the heart of Chelmsford. Public consultation is currently being undertaken ahead of a planning application later this spring (2011).
The site on Victoria Road South borders Parkway and Duke Street where the railways station is and is home to three of Chelmsford's historic buildings, including the Grade II Listed Anne Knight Building which is a former Quaker Meeting House.
Working with award-winning architects, Pollard Thomas Edwards (PTEa) for client, the Genesis Housing Association Beacon Planning was engaged to undertake a specialist planning assessment of the site and the proposed new urban neighbourhood which will include new homes, offices, shops, a food store and a series of public squares and gardens.
Beacon has produced appraisals of the three historic buildings which will be brought back into use, and will produce the heritage statement to support the planning application. In addition, an assessment of the townscape and visual impact of the scheme has been undertaken as part of the mandatory environmental impact assessment for the planning application.
* Image courtesy of © Pollard Thomas Edwards architects
April 2011
Beacon advice assists property sale
Acting on behalf of The Bell Educational Trust Limited – a charity which provides educational training and cultural experiences for people worldwide - Beacon Planning has provided specialist advice ahead of the sale of one of the Trust's historic properties in Kent
The property, Bedgebury in Goudhurst, near Tunbridge Wells is a Grade II* Listed 17th Century mansion set in over 91 acres of gardens, parkland and woodland.
In preparing for the sale of the property this spring, Beacon Planning undertook a report on potential planning issues for continued school, institutional or other uses and also conducted an historic building assessment earlier this year.
Lynda Connon, director of finance, Bell Educational Trust Limited, said: 'Bedgebury is a significant property in historical and financial terms for the Trust.
"We needed advice from a range of experts for the sale and we're confident that the specialist planning input from Beacon will be as invaluable to any future purchasers of Bedgebury, as it has been to us in preparing the sale."
The property has now been launched for open market sale by agents Knight Frank and featured in Country Life's premium property advertisements.
Conservation specialists play key part in Peterborough's regeneration
Beacon Planning has been appointed by Peterborough City Council to review and appraise the conservation area around the cathedral in support of the on-going city centre regeneration works.
While the city has 29 conservation areas, currently, Beacon Planning will concentrate on the city centre area which takes in the cathedral precincts as well as the historic areas of Cowgate, Priestgate, Westgate and Bridge Street.
The appraisal -which is scheduled for public consultation this summer (2011) – will see Beacon's planners assess and appraise the special historic and architectural interest of this part of the city centre.
Local authorities have a statutory duty to designate and review conservation areas which are an important tool in the planning and management of the historic built environment.
The scope of the work in Peterborough's city centre conservation area includes the examination of development in this area over the years, identifying distinctive characteristics and landmarks as well as making recommendations which seek to preserve or enhance the special character of this built environment.
Beacon Planning has a proven track record of work in this specialist field for a range of local authorities including Norwich City Council, Cambridge City Council and a range of other Councils in Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Essex, Leicestershire and Bedfordshire.
Dr Jon Burgess, director of Beacon Planning said: " As well as contributing to the on-going positive management of the historic environment and its regeneration the conservation area appraisal will support Peterborough City Council in delivering planned work on Cowgate funded, in part, by a recent £105,000 grant from English Heritage ."
March 2011
Beacon's 3rd Birthday in Paris
February 2011
Beacon bullish about sponsorship heritage
Sponsorship of a rugby match in this summer's league season is making Beacon Planning bullish in boasting about its heritage connections.
The Cambridge-based planning consultancy will be the official Gameday Sponsor for a match between rugby league teams, the Bradford Bulls and the Catalan Dragons on 03 July at the Bulls' Odsal Stadium - an historic location which features prominently in this year's hit-movie "The King's Speech".
While Cambridgeshire's Ely Cathedral doubles as Westminster Abbey in the film's coronation scenes, the opening scene, set at the closing ceremony of the 1925 British Empire Games, sees Bradford's Odsal Stadium substituting for the original Wembley Stadium.
Beacon director, Jon Burgess is a life-long fan of the Bradford rugby league team and, as a planner with PhD in conservation, he points out that Odsal Stadium boasts heritage credentials of its own even without this latest 'royal' connection.
He said: "The stadium holds the record for the largest crowd – officially 102,000 but unofficially 120,000 spectators – when it hosted the 1954 rugby league cup final replay.
"Bradford Northern, as a team, was a founder member of the Northern Union – which is what Rugby League was first called when it broke away from the Rugby Union at the end of the 19th Century."
In more recent times, Odsal Stadium provided the location for the Coalition Government's first off-site cabinet meeting last year, but Jon Burgess refuses to be drawn on the detail of any behind-the-scenes negotiations done with Beacon co-director, Andy Thompson in securing the gameday sponsorship deal.
January 2011
Specialist advice secures post-grad pads for Clare College, Cambridge
Specialist planning and heritage advice from Beacon Planning has helped secure permission for new accommodation for post-graduate students of Clare College Cambridge as well as a retail unit in Newnham - in Cambridge's central conservation area as well as one of its most desirable residential areas.
The scheme – which is designed by award winning architects Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture Ltd and which was commended and approved, unanimously, by Cambridge City Council will see the 32 new rooms accommodated in refurbished and new buildings which front on to Newnham Road on the corner of the historic Fen Causeway.
Following the rejection of a previous scheme, Beacon Planning advised on general planning aspects of the project, as well as its more specialist elements – including the refurbishment of an existing terrace of buildings and the partial demolition of poor quality buildings.
An awareness of the sensitivity and conservation importance of the whole setting was crucial in securing planning permission, according to the Bursar of Clare College, Donald Hearn, who said:
"Beacon Planning's specialist advice and understanding of the sensitivities of the setting have been invaluable in securing this scheme.
"The College can now transform this site into an attractive new home for post-graduate students who will, undoubtedly, also appreciate and respect Newnham's special character as much as the area's more established residents."
Work on site is due to commence in September this year (2011), with the rooms scheduled for occupation in July 2013.
* Image courtesy of © Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture
Mixed Use scheme in Cambridge City Centre
Planning permission has been secured for a new shop unit and seven flats. This will replace a shop and offices on the corner of Burleigh Street and Adam and Eve Street. Developments such as this on central City sites make an important contribution to the area. It will provide modern shopping space, new flats in a central location and make a contribution to the ongoing improvements in the appearance of the area around the Grafton Centre.
Bristol hospital's heritage house-call
Beacon Planning has provided specialist conservation expertise on an application for the refurbishment of a Grade II* Listed house which stands on Bristol's landmark Clifton Hill in the heart of the city's Clifton and Hotwells Conservation Area.
Private health care provider, Nuffield Health, called on Beacon's expertise to advise on the modernisation of the 18th Century house – previously known as Clifton Court but now called Chesterfield Hospital - which would involve the demolition of a 1930s wing and 1950s additions and its replacement with a new wing capable of delivering 21st Century healthcare.
Beacon Planning was already familiar with the Listed house and its conservation setting, having reviewed the property for previous proposals to convert the building to a nursing home. Over the course of discussions for the different proposals Beacon have consulted closely with Bristol City Council and English Heritage.
The original house – which is believed to have been designed by architect William Halfpenny - dates back to 1742 when it was built, in the fashionable Palladian-style, for Nehemiah Champion who was a key figure in the city's brassmaking industry. This connection is reflected in the side walls of the house which are constructed of black-coloured 'slag bocks' which were a bi-product of the brassmaking process.
In support of the plans for the refurbishment and working with Bristol architects Kendall Kingscott for the first time, Beacon Planning produced the statement of significance and heritage assessment of the building and its setting to help guide the modernisation proposals.
A planning application has been submitted to Bristol City Council with an expectation of a decision in March.
* Image courtesy of © Kendall Kingscott Ltd
Inspector approves school plans
Beacon Planning have secured planning permission for brand new educational facilities for an independent school in Cambridge following a successful appeal.
The new building, designed by award-winning London architects John McAslan + Partners, will provide eight new classrooms and a multi-use hall at one of the school sites in the city.
Beacon was appointed as the planning consultant to the project in 2009 after the first design for the building failed to get the support of the city's planners and English Heritage.
Beacon Planning, together with the school and the architects, reviewed the initial design to address concerns about the view of the building from street and surrounding levels.
While the revised proposals were recommended for approval they were rejected by the city's South Area Committee last January Beacon Planning prepared a planning appeal which was upheld by the planning inspector.
Beacon riding high in Planning league table
Beacon Planning has been ranked as one of the UK's high-earning planning consultancies in an industry survey and the firm is predicting a 10 per cent increase in its fee income this year.
The Cambridge-based planning practice featured in Planning magazine's annual consultancy survey of over 100 UK firms operating in this sector who, cumulatively, pulled-in a fee income of some £411 million during a twelve month period from 2009-2010.
In the survey of the 105 leading planning consultancies, Beacon Planning – which has six fee-earners in a small team of just seven employees in total – was ranked in a mid-table position at 57th in the league.
Although based in the eastern region, its specialist planning expertise is called upon by a range of clients – private, institutional, educational and corporate – across the country.
According to director, Andy Thompson, it is a rare combination of general planning and specialist heritage expertise, the variety of its client base and its geographical reach which have contributed to the consultancy's success in 2010 and gives grounds for optimism and continued growth in the coming year.
He said: "There are just fifteen other consultancies who are predicting growth of 10 per cent in fee income for 2011 in the survey. With a concentration of six fee-earners in a consultancy of just seven people, we are set-up to respond to the needs of our clients, quickly and effectively."
December 2010
Departure case made in Lincolnshire village
South Kesteven District Council has given Listed Building Consent for the refurbishment of a Grade II Listed building together with the development of two new bungalows on nearby land in the village of Claypole, near Newark after two years work by Beacon Planning.
Working on behalf of the trustees of a will, Beacon Planning had to prove the case for the application at a time when the local authority was in the process of adopting the core strategy of its local development framework (LDF) which included a presumption against any new development in Claypole – even though the planning and conservation officers were supportive of Beacon's proposals.
In arguing for the application to be considered as a departure from the policy which - given Newark's proximity - saw development in the village as an unsustainable settlement, Beacon referenced the site's location at the centre of the village's established settlement which is served by a regular bus service, a public house and a primary school.
The village setting was also reflected in the red brick and pantile design of the two new bungalows by architects Bland Brown & Cole.
Eventually, approval was granted last month (November) after being advertised as a departure with the view that, given its central location, the development would not have a detrimental impact.
The site is being marketed for sale by Newark agents Richard Watkinson & Partners.
12th Century church with 21st Century needs
Plans to provide 21st Century facilities to meet the needs of the growing congregation of a 12th Century church in Essex have called upon the conservation expertise of Beacon Planning.
Working on behalf of the Parochial Church Council in the village of Felsted, near Great Dunmow and in conjunction with architects Freeland Rees Roberts - who submitted the planning application to Uttlesford District Council last month (November) - Beacon Planning acted as the heritage consultants on the proposals to build a extension to the church to provide new meeting and group assembly space with associated facilities.
Felsted Church is Grade I Listed and has a distinctive, square, Norman tower. Felsted village is chronicled in the Domesday Book and while the building dates back to 1120 AD, it is thought that, as a place of worship, the site itself dates back to Roman times.
Beacon Planning was appointed in July this year to work with architect Freeland Rees Roberts on the planning application.
Acting as heritage consultants, Beacon assessed the significance of the building and its setting and reviewed the impact of the proposed work and possible alternatives in considering the planning implications of the proposed extension.
The location for the extension is to the north of the church and is within churchyard grounds which are screened by an avenue of trees and - importantly from a heritage planning aspect - will not affect any of the important views of the landmark, Norman west tower.
The planning application is scheduled for consideration by the district council either later this year or early next year.
If approved, the Parochial Church Council is looking to have work start on site in the summer with the new facilities set to be used by the congregation by the beginning of 2012.
November 2010
Vineyard permission gives taste of success
Beacon Planning has worked with Snell David Architects to secure permission for the expansion of a family-run wine growing business which was granted by Braintree District Council, against officer recommendation, this month.
Permission was granted for a visitor centre and family farmhouse to Jane and Stephen Mohan who run Coggleshall Vineyard. While vines have been grown on the site since the late 1970s, Jane and Stephen want to develop and grow the business into a centre to promote English wine with an emphasis on East Anglian viticulture.
Plans for the visitor centre include a cellar which will host wine-tasting sessions, a retail set-up to include a shop, restaurant and café and function room for specialist talks.
Crucial to the plans for development was permission for a new farmhouse for the family. This will be located on unproductive land to the west of the site. The new farmhouse will be set around a courtyard with equipment store and a wing with an office and also guest accommodation for visiting lecturers and vineyard workers.
All the new buildings have been designed by Snell David Architects working in conjunction with leading manufacturer of energy efficient building systems, Baufritz. Energy saving features include domestic rainwater harvesting, solar energy panels, a design to maximise natural light and ventilation and high levels of insulation.
Both the visitor centre and the farmhouse with have timber cladding and boarding with a zinc roof.
The council officers' concerns about the plans in a designated Special Landscape Area focused on the size of the new dwelling but were overcome by Beacon Planning who, successfully, argued the connection between the vineyard business and the new home because there was a need for the owners, with a young family, to live on-site.
In granting permission, the planning committee of Braintree District Council accepted that the new business and retail amenity would prove both local employment for Coggleshall and be an additional visitor attraction to the town.
Continuity counts for Cambridge's Parkside fire station development
Continuity in a complex project and specialist planning expertise from Beacon Planning both played an important part in securing consent for Cambridge's new fire station and mixed use development at Parkside - on which work is due to begin on-site next spring (2011).
Beacon Planning was appointed by Grosvenor Developments in December last year (2009) to secure planning permission to amend the previously consented scheme but this was not the first of the firm's input in to the project.
Beacon had already worked on the Parkside development proposals as heritage consultants, advising the developer on specific aspects of working within a formally defined conservation area adjacent to Cambridge's historic Parker's Piece.
Directors Andy Thompson and Jon Burgess were also involved in securing the original planning permission in May 2007, following a successful public inquiry and before forming Beacon Planning the following year (2008).
In order to have the time to modify the proposed scheme and address points of possible objection, Beacon Planning negotiated the extension of the time limits of the planning permission and obtained the relevant specialist permissions - conservation area consent – from the City Council in June this year (2010).
The revised proposals, designed by Glenn Howells Architects, improved the development by modifications to the residential element which included reducing the number of apartments, increasing their size and revising internal layouts and introducing some 3-bedroom properties.
The revised scheme will comprise a new fire station, 99 apartments and a retail unit.
In tandem with work on the application for the new fire station, Beacon Planning also secured permission for temporary relocation of the fire station to Coldham's Lane in the city while the Parkside site is redeveloped.
* Image courtesy of (c) Glenn Howells Architects
Plans approved for historic inn
Beacon Planning has secured a succession of planning permissions for major extension and refurbishment to an historic Cambridgeshire hotel and inn.
While Phase 1 plans to build a new 73-bedroom hotel adjacent to The Red Lion Hotel at Whittlesford Bridge –off the main A505 road - got the go-ahead in 2008, the latest permissions secured by Beacon Planning's heritage and conservation specialists, centre around the extension and refurbishment of the existing Listed building to provide improved dining and conference facilities.
The Red Lion Hotel dates back to the 13th Century when it was founded as a priory. Down the centuries it was used by travellers as a rest inn and in the 17th Century King James I granted the inn a licence for the sale of wines after taking refuge there on falling ill en route from Newmarket.
Listed Building status means that Beacon Planning had to negotiate specialist planning permissions whose conditions will restore to public view in the new coffee 'snug' some original 15th Century timbers and an inglenook fireplace that are currently concealed in the kitchen.
Permission was also secured for significant landscape improvements on the site which will enhance the setting of the adjacent Duxford Chapel - which is owned by English Heritage and also has listed building status as well as that of a scheduled ancient monument.
Work is due to start in the New Year with a view to opening in April 2011.
101 High Street Hinxton
After an initial unsuccessful application and appeal Beacon Planning Ltd have secured permission for a three bedroom new dwelling on this corner plot. The Planning Inspector fully supported the principle of development here but did not like the initial design. Snell David Architects were then appointed for the resubmission and produced a design which echoes the existing houses at 101-103 High Street and addresses both road frontages. Within the context of the Conservation Area and setting of Listed Buildings opposite the revised proposal has found support with South Cambridgeshire District Council.
Cambridge practices secure permission for change
Cambridge-based consultancies Beacon Planning and architects Bland Brown & Cole Architects have secured planning permission for a private client in the village of Sewards End near Saffron Walden, Essex.
Both consultancies worked in conjunction on a successful application to Uttlesford District Council for an extension to an existing cottage and a change of use from former agricultural land to domestic garden.
Technical aspects regarding a diversion to a public right of way are in the process of being resolved.
October 2010
Planning for carol concert in Clare
The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge will be at Clare Parish Church in Suffolk on Saturday 11 December to present an evening concert of carols with harp and organ, sponsored by Beacon Planning.
The centrepiece of the evening will be Britten's 'A Ceremony of Carols' and the concert will raise money for the ongoing church restoration project.
Charmain Hawkins, who is a member of the parochial church council is also an associate of Beacon Planning and is one of the consultancy's conservation specialists.
The consultancy, itself, is working with Clare College on a number of current projects.
Admission to the concert is by ticket only.
Tickets are £7.00 each and are on sale from 30 October from the following locations: Clare Pharmacy, Well Lane, Clare, Landers Bookshop in Long Melford, Compact Music in Sudbury and Balaam's Music in Bury St Edmunds.
Understanding conservation wins appeal in Great Chesterford
Beacon Planning has successfully challenged, on appeal, Uttlesford District Council's original decision not to grant permission for a replacement dwelling in the village of Great Chesterford.
The original refusal by the local authority focused on the effect of the new property – located on High Street - on the nearby listed buildings in a conservation area and also on the effect on the neighbours' amenities.
In the appeal to the planning inspectorate, Beacon Planning made the planning case, with architect Stephen Mattick, for the replacement dwelling.
In granting permission on appeal in September (2010), the planning inspector concluded that the new property would preserve an appropriate setting of the site and referenced that 'the architectural quality of the dwelling proposed would be greater than the existing building'.
Beacon roles filled as workload increases
An increasing workload since the spring and a recruitment drive in the summer has resulted in two new appointments this autumn.
Joanna Burton (25) has joined to take up the newly created position of heritage consultant and Mariya Myronova (32) has been recruited as Beacon Planning's in-house graphic designer.
Joanna, who has a postgraduate degree from the University of Cambridge in Medieval History, joins from the Cambridge offices of English Heritage.
She has experience in planning and conservation matters and will work across the full range of Beacon Planning's work in this niche sector but will also be involved in the consultancy's expanding portfolio of urban design and development projects.
Mariya is a trained graphic designer and, most recently, has been working freelance on projects for Beacon Planning, although she has worked with directors – Andy Thompson and Jon Burgess – at their previous practice.
As well as working on support materials and graphics for planning tenders, submissions, appeals, applications and ongoing projects, Mariya will work on Beacon's marketing materials and will be in charge of the firm's website which is undergoing a transformation, currently.
PPS5 means business is booming for niche consultancy
PPS5 has led to a boom in business for heritage specialists Beacon Planning and the proposed public sector cuts leave consultancies in the conservation sector well-placed to increase workloads, say Beacon's directors.
The award-winning Beacon Planning has seen a significant increase in work since March this year (2010) - when PPS5 was published -with the number of live projects 30 per cent up in comparison with the equivalent period last year.
'By June, we had opened as many new projects as we did in the whole of 2009,' says Jon Burgess who also confirms that the consultancy is actively recruiting to cope with the workload.
He continues: 'PPS5 places the onus on the developer to demonstrate that they understand fully what is important about a building or site and so planners with direct experience in the heritage sector are in demand and will continue to prove their worth.'
According to Beacon directors Jon Burgess and Andy Thompson - both of whom have had local authority planning roles - demand for this niche expertise looks set to carry on growing if the threatened slashing of local authority budgets and those of other public sector bodies in the heritage and conservation sector are carried out.
Beacon sheds light on conservation areas
Specialist panning expertise from Beacon Planning has been called upon by a local authority in Essex to review and appraise its conservation areas.
Beacon Planning was appointed by Basildon District Council to undertake appraisals of three of the authority's four conservation areas as part of the Council's duty to assess and consult on the preservation and enhancement of conservation areas.
The consultancy also conducted the subsequent public consultation in October 2010 on behalf of the Council.
As a planning consultancy specialising in heritage and historic buildings and settings, Beacon Planning has a track record of work in this specialist field for a range of local authorities including South and East Cambridgeshire, Fenland District Council and Norwich City Council.
Currently, Beacon is also looking at a number of areas for Cambridge City Council.
Jenni Neilson, a senior consultant at Beacon Planning, explains:
'Designating a conservation area is an important tool in the management of the historic built environment.
'The more clearly and comprehensively the special nature of an area is defined and consulted upon, the better it will be valued and looked after by the local community and others with an interest in it.'