Independent Expert Witness

EXPERIENCED
ROBUST
PASSIONATE

Now for the serious stuff:

We have decided to offer our expert witness services more widely as we are becoming increasingly aware of planning appeals and inquiries being presented with weak, inaccurate and sometimes misleading statements of case put forward by local planning authorities which are often inexpertly challenged. 

We are highly experienced in defending our housing needs assessments and housing needs surveys at S.78 Planning Appeals and Public Inquiries. We have built and continuously improved our housing needs surveys and assessments around this ongoing experience.

Our aim is to ensure that appeals and inquiries are decided on the basis of robust assessments and the correct interpretation of findings. To this end we would envisage supporting clients in a number of scenarios:

• Sound evidence of housing need exists which is unreasonably being contested by the local planning authority (LPA) (either at the evaluation or appeal stage); or
• Unsound evidence of housing need is being relied upon by an applicant; or
• The LPA does recognise that evidence presented is unsound.

Examples of circumstances in which our services may be of interest are:
• Parish councils and/or members of the public seeking evidence and advocacy to support a view that a development is not needed, and the supporting housing needs assessment or other supporting evidence of housing need is not robust;
• Land promoters, landowners, planning consultants, housebuilders, registered providers or community land trusts where the LPA is contesting the evidence of need.
Please see our case study which shows how LPAs act illogically and unreasonably.   

Get in touch if you need us!

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