Demand for services sees team grow

Growing demand for planning and development services across Shropshire and the bordering counties has prompted leading regional multi-disciplinary company Halls to recruit two more team members.

The addition of Dan Callaghan, land development and new home manager, and Ed Blunt, planning consultant, expands the team to 10 at the Shrewsbury-based company.

Dan has worked in Australia and the UK over the past 30 years as a development manager, property consultant and sustainable development specialist.

He has advised landowners, including Grosvenor Estates and Land Securities as a consultant on redevelopment and disposal strategies and as a property developer at St George, Multiplex UK and APN Property Group, including the £8b Brent Cross Town urban regeneration project.

“I am passionate about true sustainability,” he said. “I see my role as helping all our varied clients to maximise their property and land assets through sustainable development, utilising the considerable experience and expertise that exists across the wider Halls team.”

Ed, who has a degree in Sociology and Criminology and a Masters in Spatial Planning and Development, is delighted to have secured the post with Halls in his home town.

“I couldn’t be happier,” he said. “I am very fortunate to have joined a growing team at Halls, a great company to work for here in Shrewsbury. My appointment is a bi-product of expansion and I am looking forward to helping with the workload and increasing my skills.” 

With a network of nine offices covering Shropshire, Worcestershire Herefordshire, Mid and North East Wales and the Wesst Midlands, Halls is one of the UK’s leading independent firms offering expertise in estate agency, property auctions, chartered surveying, valuations and planning and development.

Paul Watson, Halls associate director and senior planning consultant, said his department had seen a 20 per cent increase in business in the past year, including many more complex planning applications.

This increase includes obtaining planning consent for land for housing, barn conversions, change of use of agricultural building for residential and commercial use and adding value to agricultural property.

Halls has undertaken projects in Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Powys and the West Midlands. Enquiries about residential and commercial development on Green and Grey Belt land in the West Midlands, which require detailed research work, are also being received.

“Dan and Ed have been recruited to increase our level of service to support clients who instruct Halls and to reduce the lead time for projects,” said Paul. “We are supporting such a diverse range of projects, including the promotion of land for housing and consequent planning applications.

“Many landowners have land which may have development potential and approach Halls having heard that there is a shortage of land for housing in their county.”

Every enquiry received by the department goes through detailed pre-planning appraisal and evaluation and only the ones with a good chance of a successful planning application are accepted.

“Making a planning application is an expensive business and we explain to people from the outset that we will only take on a project where there is a good chance of a positive outcome because we don’t want them to waste their money or time,” said Paul. “We turn away as many enquiries as we accept.

“We are picking up a lot of work because we pride ourselves on providing honest, realistic advice and the Halls name is trusted and well respected. We devote time for site visits and our clients have access to a diverse range of skills and services within the business – from grants, finance, house and land sales and letting to farm diversification.”

In certain circumstances, where landowners are speculatively seeking planning consent for houses on their land but can’t afford to make an application, Halls will enter into a no win, no fee agreement. A fee is only charged if planning permission is obtained.

“There is a trend of farmers diversifying to optimise their land and building assets to generate extra revenue to support their family,” said Paul. “We have obtained planning consent to turn farm buildings into wedding and event venues or commercial storage and distribution warehouses, which can be rented out to subside the farm income.”

Pictured: Halls senior planning consultant Paul Watson (centre) with new recruits, land and development manager Dan Callaghan (right) and planning consultant Ed Blunt