Planning consultants in the United Kingdom
2 planning consultants across the United Kingdom, each compared on their portfolio, credential evidence, past work and reviews: the evidence that matters before a project you'll live with. Add your area below to compare their work near you.
No ads · No paid placement · Ranked on evidence only
Planning Consultants
2 planning consultants found
What to check when hiring planning consultants in the United Kingdom
MyTrustedTraders ranks on independent public evidence. No ads, no paid placement. Use these checks alongside the evidence on each profile before you decide who to contact.
- Ask to see a portfolio of completed work like yours, plus recent references you can contact.
- Check the credentials and registrations that matter for this work, and that they are current.
- Get a written, itemised quote with scope, assumptions and a staged payment schedule.
- Compare at least three planning consultants on the depth of their evidence, not just price.
Which credentials should a planning consultant have? See the guide →
How to judge a planning consultant
Independent, no-ads guidance. The trade-specific checks that matter most, the warning signs, and what to ask before you hire. Use it alongside each trader’s public evidence above.
Verify before you hire
- Check they are an MRTPI (Chartered Town Planner) member: search the RTPI's public directory at rtpiconsultants.co.uk, as the title 'planning consultant' is unprotected.
- Ask for their approval rate at your specific council: a consultant's track record varies enormously between LPAs, especially in London boroughs or conservation areas.
- Confirm they hold Professional Indemnity Insurance: RTPI members must carry it, but unregulated consultants have no such requirement and leave you with no recourse if things go wrong.
- Check whether your property is in a conservation area or subject to an Article 4 direction: if so, you need someone with listed-building consent and conservation experience, not a generalist.
Warning signs of a cowboy
- No MRTPI membership and no explanation of their qualifications: anyone can call themselves a planning consultant with zero training.
- They cannot name specific recent applications approved at your council: local knowledge of an individual LPA is essential, not optional.
- They ask for the full fee upfront before submission with no staged payments or refund clause if the application is refused.
- They guarantee approval: no honest consultant can promise this, especially in a conservation area or London borough where refusal rates are much higher.
Questions to ask before you hire
- Are you an MRTPI Chartered Town Planner, and can I verify your membership on the RTPI directory?
- How many applications have you submitted at my specific council in the last three years, and what was your approval rate?
- Have you handled applications like mine before: for example, a listed building consent or conservation area consent, if that applies to my property?
- How is your fee structured: what do I pay if the application is refused or withdrawn?
Frequently asked questions
- How do I choose a trustworthy planning consultant?
- Compare the public evidence on each profile: how many independent reviews they have and across how many named sources, the rating and how recent it is, any credential evidence, and the company status. A planning consultant backed by several named sources is harder to fake than one found in only one place.
- Does MyTrustedTraders rank or recommend planning consultants for payment?
- No. There are no ads and no paid placement. Planning consultants are ranked only by the strength of independent public evidence. No one can pay to rank higher, add a badge, or change their reviews.
- Where do the reviews come from?
- They're imported from named public review sources and always shown with the source named. They aren't reviews written on MyTrustedTraders. We cross-check the same business across sources rather than creating new reviews.
- What should I check before hiring a planning consultant?
- Confirm credentials and insurance directly with the planning consultant, get a written quote, and run the Cowboy Checker on the business first. MyTrustedTraders helps you shortlist on the evidence. It doesn't replace your own checks before you hire.
More ways to check who to trust
Free, independent checks. No ads, no paid placement.
- Cowboy Checker
Spot the warning signs of a dishonest business before you hire.
- Company Health Check
Check whether the company behind a business is active, dissolved, or in liquidation.
- Licence Check
A licence number from a van or quote, checked against every public register included here in one search.