We were appointed by Halycon Offices Ltd to support the redevelopment of a partially vacant office block to transform it into high-quality residential living situated within a highly sustainable location close to Leatherhead town centre and railway station. The proposal sought the demolition of the existing office building and the provision of 75 Build to Rent residential apartments.

The site also benefitted from extant planning permission for permitted development rights for the change of use from office to residential; however, the redevelopment of the site was proposed to provide higher quality residential dwellings.

As Mole Valley District Council was not offering pre-application services at the time, we worked closely with the design team to identify planning risks at an early stage through a review of the Development Plan as well as undertaking public and key local stakeholders consultation.

A key part of the planning strategy was demonstrating the wider benefits of the proposals, including the redevelopment of a brownfield site, the delivery of 75 new homes to support the Council's housing supply, high-quality design, a sustainable location, and biodiversity and economic benefits.

During the application process, concerns were raised regarding the loss of protected employment space. We successfully demonstrated that the loss of office floorspace was acceptable, supported by the site's extant prior approval and evidence that displaced occupiers could be accommodated within existing office space in Leatherhead.

We worked closely with the Local Planning Authority and key statutory consultees to overcome concerns throughout the application process. Although the application was recommended for approval, Planning Committee refused permission. We subsequently prepared a robust planning appeal, securing planning permission with costs awarded in favour of our client.