Sophie Spriggs-Coe, LB Richmond
We couldn’t have asked for more knowledge, dedication and perseverance from Will and his team, and they have been an absolute pleasure to work with. Will was our planning consultant for a change of use on a warehouse from a B8 to a B2 usage. The process became much more complicated than we could have possibly realised, but Will’s determination to get it approved for us, and a lot of hard work, meant that we had a positive committee hearing with Richmond Borough Council. The approval means that we can finally move our family run garage business back to Barnes, and the future is bright! Thank you Will, you have gone above and beyond to make this happen, and we can’t thank you enough.
Mark Turin
William and Philip at WEA have been truly wonderful to work with. Professional, responsive, nuanced and extremely well-versed in the various layers and levels of planning regulation and policy. They helped me navigate an intricate situation with grace and care, making a very stressful situation much more manageable. I have nothing but praise and recommend WEA Planning without reservation.
A.B.
I have engaged WEA Planning after my initial application for LDC failed. So I asked William and Phil to prepare my Planning Application. They gathered all relevant information and kept me in the loop. They worked swiftly and the submitted application got approved smoothly without any delay. I was extremely pleased with WEA Planning services.
Nathan Turner
I have been running my own architectural and structural engineering company for 14 years and to date I have always managed my own planning applications. Last year I was engaged to provide plans for an extremely complex job which had a very little chance of obtaining planning consent. Previous architects and the client had tried to obtain pre-planning advice and the councils response for all pre-apps was rather negative. The client and I decided to approach WEA to see if they could assist with getting this one through as we heard they have a knack for positive outcomes on complex applications. In summary, they obtained planning permission for the project which was a huge win for both myself and the client. Will developed a very clever strategy for getting the application passed and Will also gave us some great advice for design alternatives too. I was extremely impressed with Will's knowledge of planning policy and processes and I personally learnt a lot from him. I can't rate them enough.
Ellie Bell, LB Richmond
We bought a funny little 1960s detached house slap bang in the middle of a very smart conservation area surrounded on all sides by 'buildings of townscape merit'. From the outset, the council were very negative about our chances of getting any plans approved, particularly any type of habitable loft conversion that involved significantly raising the ridge of the existing property. Will came on board early in the process and advised us on clever ways to proceed involving multiple pre-planning advice applications which he dissected and used as guidance for the full plans that were later submitted. He proposed applying with a set of three alternative designs, each of which addressed particular concerns raised by the planning department. The intention was for one of these to be accepted (the smallest of the three designs) and then for us to battle out the loft conversion element at appeal further down the line, but much to our surprise (Will included) the council accepted a design that Will had come up with (he worked in conjunction with our architect to draw up the plans for his clever idea) and we are now on the cusp of beginning work. There's absolutely no way we would have managed to get any plans approved without his guidance, not in a million years. The statements he and Thomas wrote to accompany the applications were watertight - it's seriously impressive technical stuff that only an expert with knowledge of every little bit of planning legislation could do. It's not cheap and occasionally I got frustrated by how long certain elements took, however overall it was far and away the best decision we made to hire WEA and I 100% recommend their services to anyone contemplating using them, particularly if you're in a tricky conservation area.
Zoheb Chaudhry
I have been using Will and his team for around 4 years now. It started off with something modest and now its gotten to the stage where I swear by his him and his team. He has helped, if not singlehandedly resolved applications which include permission for a granny annex over 100 sqm with full functional bathroom and kitchen approved (during a period where the local authority were asking it to be torn down), with a basement and rear extension in town, a full wrap around extension and loft conversion at another site.... the list can go on and on. His attention to detail, appreciation of what the concept is and the strategy behind it all is all priceless. I would highly recommend him.
Ashu Prabhu
A big thank you to Will and the team for a marathon planning application (actually two, one of which went to appeal, due to a particularly awkward LA) but eventually after over three years we achieved a successful conclusion. WEA stuck with it throughout and worked hard to ensure that even though the whole process bad become tiresome, we wouldn't lose hope and simply give up. Hopefully we will soon be able to enjoy the fruits of this long labour.
Neil Shah
We used WEA Planning for our ground floor rear extension knowing our local planning authority would prove to be difficult for what we wanted to achieve. After a few applications Will from WEA Planning managed to get them to where we wanted and our extension got approved. We are delighted with the outcome thanks to Will and his team. Having an expert really does pay dividends. I have no hesitation is recommending WEA planning to anyone thinking of doing a planning application, even if its for something simple.
John Benn, Camden
I employed the services of Will after a planning dispute with Camden Council. After a retrospective planning permission application was denied, Will undertook an appeal process in light of a somewhat arbitrary decision by the council. During the entire process, Will was knowledgable, upfront and friendly, which made what was becoming a stressful situation immeasurably more manageable. Knowing Will was liaising with the council with his comprehensive knowledge of the planning processes and legalities was both a relief and gave me the confidence that I had the best chance of a positive result. It was! Through Will’s skill and knowledge, the appeal went in my favour, saving me thousands of pounds, not to mention the stress and effort of replacing windows that did exactly what they needed to do. I couldn’t praise him Enough or recommend him more highly.
Mitra Ghaeni, Ealing
I met Will Avery after my planning application for lawful development was refused by council. Will helped me to put together a new application and asked to submit new information and evidence, and produced a perfect application and submitted to the council and followed the progress till the end. Will was in contact with the planning officer all the time and made sure they read and understand all the evidence, so this time my application was granted thanks to Will's help and support . If you are looking for an honest, hard working and friendly planning consultant I highly recommend Will Avery
Angus Buchanan, Brent
Will successfully achieved planning for a loft extension at our house where we know the previous occupants were refused. We were very impressed and grateful for all the work put in. Great job.
The Red Green and Blue Company Ltd, London Borough of Ealing
Prior Approval Office to Dwelling, London Borough of Ealing
We worked with WEA Planning in 2015 on a successful application to convert part of our office building from commercial to residential use. William Avery handled the project with a high level of efficiency and thoughtfulness. He guided us around a number of potential regulatory obstacles, dealt with all correspondence with the local planning authority, introduced an architect when needed and delivered excellent value for money. Highly recommended.
Dr Max Whitby, Director The Red Green and Blue Company Ltd
Sarah Bruce-Ball, LB Richmond
Retrospective Planning Permission, LB Richmond
William Avery helped us before we even knew we had to have retrospective planning permission - completely free advice which was invaluable. When we found out we did need planning permission he dealt with everything in a highly professional manner and was always at the end of the phone if we needed his help. I highly recommend his services.
International Federation of Aromatherapists, London Borough of Ealing
Permitted Change of Use, London Borough of Ealing
WEA planning were professional and made the process very easy. The report and advise we received was detailed and allowed us to achieve our aim. We are grateful for the hard work that was put into it. Excellent service would recommend and use again.
Pauline Allen, CEO International Federation of Aromotherapists
Emma Gregson, London Borough of Islington
Appeal against refusal of major roof extension, London Borough of Islington
They were superb in getting my plans fully appealed! Couldnt be happier! Thank you so much!
Transdev Plc, London Borough of Hillingdon
Complex land use issues, London Borough of Hillingdon
WEA provided prompt and relevant analysis and advice in a complex scenario. Pros and cons of alternative options were clearly identified and concisely summarised, greatly aiding our decision process. We will happily use their services again in the future.
Peter Brogden, FD, Transdev Plc
Tom de Freston (artist), Oxford City
Outbuilding, Oxford City
In June 2015 I purchased a house in Oxford on a flood plane, with a view to designing and building a studio in my garden (I am a professional artist). The nature of my work and the risks of the area meant that the planning and building process faced a number of complicated obstacles to negotiate. WEA planning worked closely with me and the builder from conception through to completion. From start to finish Will was incredibly pragmatic, finding and alerting us to potential minefields at every problem. The process could have been lengthy, expensive and stressful, but thanks to Will's help we were able to move at pace and complete everything efficiently and with minimum fuss and cost. Will's honesty, expertise and hard work made the whole process pain free. I can;t thank him enough and would recommend WEA planning to anyone in need of planning assistance and support.
Ahsan Nazir, London Borough of Hounslow
Extensions, London Borough of Hounslow
For a good planning consultant, technical knowledge is important, but that in itself is not enough. You must be able to get on well with each other.
Before I met William, I had met other planning consultants, but I did not feel that I would like to work with them. There was a feeling of uneasiness, a feeling that we would not get on well with each other.
I met William and instantly he put me at ease. His warm and welcoming manner, gave me a feeling that I would like to work with him on a long term basis, as I knew that the multiple applications would take many months.
Over the next many months that followed, when I was not able to understand some aspect of planning law, William was always willing to explain to me in great detail, the complexities of planning law. I would like to mention here, his patience and understanding in explaining very confusing planning laws.
If I was to look for a planning consultant for another project, I would definitely choose to work with William again.
Dayse and Sandro de Souza
We appointed Will for both our loft and kitchen extension application. Initially I was hesitant of appoint a planning consultant and though I could do it myself. After having our initial consultation with Will I soon realise that it wasn't a simple process as our situation was unusual and there were many ways of approaching what we wanted to do. Will was very knowledgable and experienced in dealing with the council, it wasn't an easy process as the council was a nightmare. I now think that if we hadn't appointed WEA we would no have got our plans approved. I would highly recommend Will, its nice dealing with an honest and down to earth person.
