Fieldcrest Associates

The Partnership is made up of David Owen who has his own Architectural Practice in Whitchurch and Nigel Thorns who has a Planning Consultancy Business based in 
Shrewsbury.
 
We decided in 2006 to set up a separate company which deals with very 
specific development projects on a ‘no win no fee’ service to land owners. 
We deal with both planning applications and land issues through the Local Development Framework process. 
 
We normally assist where the owners/applicants have not got the funds to progress schemes themselves, or where they have received refusals of planning permission in the past and are reluctant to invest more funding in a project which does not have the support of the Council. 
 
We undertake all of the planning and architectural work ourselves and then pay for 
additional consultants and fees as part of the planning application submission including:
 
  • Topographical Survey,
  • Protected Species Survey,
  • Archaeological Report,
  • Highway Consultants Report,
  • Historic Building Assessment,
  • The planning application fee, 

 

Aside from the initial cost savings there are also significant benefits to all land owners in coming to us as we do not insist on agreeing land values up front.
 
Current Projects include
 
    Land at Tilstock Road, Whitchurch
    500 dwellings, School Site, Football Pitches and a Cricket Club Expansion
 
    Land Off A53 Shawbury
    50 Dwellings along with Football Pitches for Shawbury Football Club
 
    Land at Ash Parva
    8 Executive Dwellings, Highway Improvements and Village Footpath
 
    Land at Tibberton
    44 Dwellings and Provision of Car Park for School
 
Essentially we obtain the best possible planning permission we can, and then sell the land on the open market to the highest bidder. This has a far greater potential of allowing a competitive market to push up the value of the land and so increase returns for the landowner.
 
In a recent case a client had spent £10,000.00 on architects fees in attempt to obtain planning permission for 4 and then 3 houses on land that they owned, each of which failed. 
 
On this basis the land was valued at £600,000. The land fell within a Conservation Area and adjacent to a Grade II* Listed Building and the Conservation Officers advice at that time was that the site should remain open and free of development.
 
Following our involvement we received planning permission for 12 dwellings within
1 year and the site later sold for over £1,300,000.00. The clients were obviously happy with the result and we took a percentage of the sale value (the amount of the percentage depends upon the complexity of the case itself).  
 
From a landowners viewpoint the key issues are that:
  1. We can solve problems where others have failed; 
  2. On the basis of a no win no fee project, we are very determined in our desire to get a planning permission, and also obtain a planning permission which achieves the best ‘sale value’ for the site (as our fee depends upon it);
  3. The land is sold to the highest bidder with planning permission;
 
If you wish to meet us to discuss any potential Fieldcrest Associates projects we would be pleased to arrange a meeting at your convenience.
 
Please contact Nigel Thorns on (01743) 343660