Planning Consultants

Feasibility

The success of your project hinges on whether it will be acceptable in planning terms. This phase involves feasibility studies, planning appraisals and planning due diligence.

Our planning and environmental consultants use an in-house GIS system backed with years of planning experience to assess your project’s viability, while detecting potential risks early in the process, saving you time and money. 

Planning Applications

Every planning application is unique and as planning is not an exact science, makes the outcome hard to predict. We make sure your planning application submission is as comprehensive as possible, to an excellent standard of quality, ensuring compliance with policy, legal, political, and commercial requirements. This involves pre-planning consultations, public consultations and liaising with other stakeholders and specialist consultants.

We work with Planning Authorities following the submission of planning applications, should further information be required to secure your planning consent.

Project Management

We project manage the entire planning process, from concept right through to conditions discharge. Our planning consultant’s in-depth sectoral knowledge of your development proposal, coupled with our state-of-the-art, in-house technology, gives you the confidence and peace of mind that your project is in safe hands.

Planning Appeals

In a minority of cases planning first party appeals may be required against a refusal of permission or against a condition of a grant of permission. Also a response to a third-party appeal may be required.

Our vast experience and expertise will guide you through this process and we have a very high success rate for obtaining permission on appeal by presenting thorough and argued cases. 

 

 

Public Consultation

Where community consultation is required, we will choose the appropriate form of communication, from workshops, public exhibitions, drop-in sessions, focus groups, neighbourhood surveys, and one-to-one sessions.

This includes creating supporting materials such as brochures, advertisements, and 3D models for interactive consultations with local communities, public representatives, and other stakeholders.

Feasibility

The success of your project hinges on whether it will be acceptable in planning terms. This phase involves feasibility studies, planning appraisals and planning due diligence.

Our planning and environmental consultants use an in-house GIS system backed with years of planning experience to assess your project’s viability, while detecting potential risks early in the process, saving you time and money. 

Project Management

We project manage the entire planning process, from concept right through to conditions discharge. Our planning consultant’s in-depth sectoral knowledge of your development proposal, coupled with our state-of-the-art, in-house technology, gives you the confidence and peace of mind that your project is in safe hands.

Public Consultation

Where community consultation is required, we will choose the appropriate form of communication, from workshops, public exhibitions, drop-in sessions, focus groups, neighbourhood surveys, and one-to-one sessions.

This includes creating supporting materials such as brochures, advertisements, and 3D models for interactive consultations with local communities, public representatives, and other stakeholders.

Planning Applications

Every planning application is unique and as planning is not an exact science, makes the outcome hard to predict. We make sure your planning application submission is as comprehensive as possible, to an excellent standard of quality, ensuring compliance with policy, legal, political, and commercial requirements. This involves pre-planning consultations, public consultations and liaising with other stakeholders and specialist consultants.

We work with Planning Authorities following the submission of planning applications, should further information be required to secure your planning consent.

Planning Appeals

In a minority of cases planning first party appeals may be required against a refusal of permission or against a condition of a grant of permission. Also a response to a third-party appeal may be required.

Our vast experience and expertise will guide you through this process and we have a very high success rate for obtaining permission on appeal by presenting thorough and argued cases. 

 

 

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FAQs

This section brings together clear, straightforward answers to the queries we hear most often, helping you quickly find the information you need. Whether you’re just getting started or looking for something specific, these FAQs are designed to save you time and point you in the right direction.

Planning permission is required for most infrastructure and renewable energy developments involving a material change in land use or physical works, including wind farms, solar arrays, battery storage, substations, and grid connections. Permitted development rights may apply in limited circumstances. Early feasibility assessment is critical to determining the correct consent route before committing to site or programme.

Large-scale projects typically fall under strategic or national consenting regimes. In Ireland, it is Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID), which requires formal EIA, statutory consultation, and engagement with national planning bodies. This process is more complex, longer in programme, and demands a higher standard of technical and environmental evidence than standard local authority applications.

Required assessments depend on project type and scale, but typically include an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Flood Risk Assessment, Ecological Impact Assessment, Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA), and Transport Assessment. Additional reports covering noise, shadow flicker, heritage, and geotechnical matters may be required depending on site constraints. Entrust coordinates and project manages all technical inputs in-house and through specialist partners.

Outline permission establishes the principle of development with details reserved for later approval, which is useful for de-risking land acquisition or phased investment decisions. Full planning permission grants consent for both principle and detailed design, allowing development to proceed. For infrastructure and energy projects, full permission is most common. The right route depends on programme, investor requirements, and local authority expectations.

Key planning risks include policy conflicts, inadequate environmental evidence, statutory objections, third-party appeals, and constraints identified late in the programme. Risks are best managed through rigorous pre-application engagement, early environmental scoping, and high-quality application submissions. Entrust’s track record in delivering contentious consents is built on proactive risk identification and strategic stakeholder management from the outset.

Planning and Development Act 2024 reforms introduce new large energy infrastructure consent pathways and revised EIA thresholds. In both jurisdictions, reform creates both opportunity and new compliance obligations, requiring up-to-date regulatory expertise to navigate effectively.

Let’s collaborate to create a greener, more sustainable future together.

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