Background
The Ernest Cook Trust is an educational charity, promoting lifelong learning and appreciation for the countryside through various outdoor experiences.
The Trust was bequeathed Court farmhouse and outbuildings in the Cotswold village of Quenington and approached Edgars to assist them in securing planning and listed building consent for its conversion into a new head office and educational space.
Challenge
Several of the outbuildings (including barn, stables and pig sheds) were listed, which required a careful approach in respect of their change of use and the extent of physical alteration that the LPA would be willing to accept. The site also occupied a central location within the village and the Trust were keen to build a positive relationship with their new neighbours. The relocation of the Trust’s offices from elsewhere and exactly how they envisaged using the space evolved during the course of the project which required swift action to secure changes to the approved plans while maintaining the construction programme.
Solution
We worked closely with a multi-disciplinary consultant team to address a range of site constraints, including heritage, access, archaeology, trees and ecology (bats), and to ensure that the relevant mitigations and any associated knock-on impacts between disciplines were identified and fully resolved.
Following local consultation some amendments were made to the plans to address residents’ concerns relating to traffic. Edgars also worked hard to establish a positive and collaborative relationship with officers at the LPA which enabled a number of design changes to be made during the planning process.
Result
Planning permission and listed building consent was granted by Cotswold District Council in October 2022; a further two section 73 consents (amendments to approved plans) were secured in late 2023 and early 2024.
The Trust moved into their new premises in Spring 2025.
Conclusion
Edgars always try to make the LPA’s job as easy as possible by making high quality submissions which focus on the key issues and solutions. By being proactive and working collaboratively with case officers we try and unlock positive decisions as quickly as we can. Miriam Owen, Associate Director.
Client Testimonial
“A difficult application with several challenges and amendments that required both skill and perseverance from the Edgars planning team to overcome successfully.”
– Chris Smith, Maintenance and Construction Manager, The Ernest Cook Trust
If you’re looking for planning consultants to assist you with commercial buildings, education facilities, master planning and more, we can help. Get in touch with us on 01865 731700 or email enquiries@edgarslimited.co.uk.