Planning Solutions Consulting Limited is an established consultancy providing specialist research, business planning, visitor experience masterplanning and investment development services to clients across the heritage, culture, tourism and third sectors with a particular focus on castles.

We understand the need to create sustainable world-class visitor experiences while conserving historic monuments and making these resources inclusive and where possible financially sustainable. As a consultancy, we have experience of working with a range of castle based projects across the UK and Republic of Ireland, including:

Scotland:
-Historic Environment Scotland: Working closely with HES we prepared a Monument and Community Support Strategy for Urquhart Castle
-Falkirk Council and Historic Environment Scotland: Prepared a Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Development Plan for the village of Blackness which incorporates Blackness Castle
-Historic Environment Scotland: Prepared a Monument and Community Support Strategy Caerlaverock Castle to enhance the visitor experience, develop a more resilient site and build strong links with the local community and other attractions

Wales:
-Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council: Carried out a market assessment and options appraisal along with preparing the supporting business case to regenerate Margam Castle (Grade I listed) and integrate this within Margam Country Park. The work helped to secure just under £1m in NLHF funding
-Monmouthshire County Council: Carried out research to prepare audience development and visitor management plans for Caldicot Castle (Grade I listed) and Country Park. We were latterly commissioned to advise on car parking and the admissions process
-Cadw: Working with Arad we prepared a 10 Year Commercial Masterplan for Caerphilly Castle which helped to secured £10m in funding to help transform the visitor offer, including the admissions process
-Swansea Council and Friends of Oystermouth Castle: Working with conservation architects Hiraeth Architecture at Oystermouth Castle we advised on the opportunities linked to enhancing the visitor experience, education, commercial revenue streams and the admissions experience
-Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority: Prepared business plans for the three key visitor sites including Carew Castle (Grade I listed) and Tidal Mill, Oriel y Parc Gallery and Visitor Centre and Castell Henllys Heritage Centre
-Pembrokeshire County Council: Prepared a feasibility study and development plan for the transformation of Haverfordwest Castle and Governor’s House into a flagship heritage attraction (the site incorporates the Town Museum). Latterly, we were commissioned to provide support for a funding application to the Levelling Up Fund, which secured over £17m

Republic of Ireland:
-Blarney Castle and Gardens Estate: In the Republic of Ireland Blarney Castle is one of the leading heritage attractions we carried out modules of primary research amongst visitors and tour group operators. We also advised on opportunities to developing the visitor experience

England:
-Hastings Borough Council: Carried out a programme of primary research, consultation, review of case examples and analysis of the education sector to inform future development plans for Hastings Castle
-Sunderland City Council: Prepared the original business plan for Hylton Castle (Grade I listed), Chapel and Dene, this involved working closely with the Friends of Hylton Dene and Castle
-Breathe Barbury CIC: Carried out a feasibility study to introduce a visitor and education centre at Barbury Castle, a hill fort in the Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Working with other professionals
We often work with conservation architects, heritage specialists, quantity surveyors, landscape architects and activity planners, combining skill sets from our core team with others.

Added value – managing visitor sites
Through our sister company, Planning Solutions Limited we have 30 years of direct operational experience of managing and developing visitor experiences and hospitality businesses across England.  PSL has invested in and manages three visitor sites alongside a hotel, brewery and high ropes operations:
-CONKERS – 120-acre discovery experience – Leicestershire
-Kent Life – a heritage farm park – Kent
-Cotswold Country Park and Beach – an activity-based attraction – Gloucestershire
-Royal Esplanade Hotel  (Grade II listed) – Isle of Wight
-The National Brewery Centre –  a heritage attraction in Burton  (re-opened in 2010 and managed to October 2022) – Staffordshire
-Burton Bridge Brewery

We have found that this practical hands-on operational experience helps to create a significant positive impact when working with other visitor focussed ‘businesses’ and brings a strong commercial realism to projects.

Clients have said a few words about our work
“Pembrokeshire County Council, in conjunction with a partnership of public, private and third sector organisations, procured PSC to develop a robust feasibility study assessing the potential of Haverfordwest Castle to become a flagship heritage attraction. This was a complex study with a range of professionals involved and PSC managed all the various different subcontractors very effectively throughout the process. The study itself includes some of the most defendable revenue business planning assumptions that I have seen in studies of this nature. Oftentimes, consultants can be somewhat overoptimistic in their financial assumptions in order to give clients what they want. Such assumptions can then come back to haunt the organisations that went on to deliver projects which ultimately were not financially viable. In this case, I am confident that the figures provided are realistic and achievable. PSC were always professional, quick to respond and willing to make changes to drafts, some of which were quite significant.” Mike Cavanagh, Head of Cultural, Leisure, Tourism and Registration Services Pembrokeshire County Council