Are you thinking of developing a tourist accommodation project? This could be a change of use for a single unit through to developing a site with multiple lodges.

We are not planning consultants. We work with planning consultants to support planning applications in respect of short-term holiday lets / tourist accommodation projects.

Our work is focussed on carrying out feasibility studies and market demand assessments for tourist accommodation projects alongside preparing the financial analysis and business plan to test the financial viability of tourist accommodation projects and support funding applications.

Some of the tourist accommodation projects we have worked on include:

• Forest Holidays: Site reviews, market demand, strategic development planning and business planning to support the expansion of their forest lodge product across the UK. Forest Holidays currently have 12 sites – find out more here
• Oaksey Park: Working with the landowner to we assessed the opportunity to introduce a cluster of self-catering cottages within the wider landholding in the Cotswolds
• Rempstone Estate: Located in Dorset we were commissioned to prepare a business plan to support the development of 22 luxury woodland cabins alongside an existing camping operating. Find out more here
• Newport City Council and Monmouthshire County Council: We were commissioned to address the shortage of visitor accommodation and to support development of the Gwent Levels as a sustainable tourist destination. There were a number of challenges because of the nature of the landscape including restrictions through the planning process both for new build and conversion / extension of existing provision
• Private landowner: Feasibility study to develop a glamping product in the south east of England
• Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council: Feasibility study to repurpose a cottage into a holiday self-catering cottage alongside supporting glamping pods
• South West Water: We worked on a project to assist the company to secure planning permission for holiday accommodation development at Roadford Lake
• Hartlepool Borough Council: We carried out a feasibility study for a watersports activity centre with linked overnight accommodation on the waterfront.
• Private landowner: Commissioned to carry out a market demand study and options appraisal evaluate the option to introduce tourist accommodation within a historic house.

Please click here to find out more about other tourist accommodation projects we have worked on.

Clients have said a few words about our work:
“I was extremely pleased with professionalism and thoroughness of the work done by Planning Solutions Consulting. The brief was a difficult one dealing with environmental constraints and stakeholder sensitivities. Even our planning services thought the work was useful.” Lynne Richards, Destination Development Manager Newport City Council

“Forest Holidays has been working with Planning Solutions Consulting Limited for over a decade. Working closely with our senior management team they have been providing expert market reviews and carrying out site assessments across the UK. They have also been providing strategic input to analyse growth market targets and to help shape our development strategy. This has helped Forest Holidays to expand our portfolio of sites across the UK. We have found that the quality of advice has always been very sound and robustly argued and we have often reverted back to PSCL’s earlier research work and reports which has demonstrated their validity over time. Planning Solutions Consulting deliver their work within budget and on time. We would have no hesitation in recommending Planning Solutions Consulting to other organisations.” Gary Fletcher, former Chief Executive Officer, Forest Holidays

What makes us different: Added value our operational experience
Unlike other consultancies we have direct experience of operating holiday accommodation businesses alongside visitor attractions. Our sister company, Planning Solutions Limited, has invested in and manages a hotel on the Isle of Wight and number of visitor attractions (CONKERS, Kent Life Heritage Farm Park and the Cotswold Country Park and Beach). They also used to own and manage a luxury self-catering cottage. One of our colleagues also sits on the board as a director of the operating company of Burnbake Lodges, a high quality self-catering business, in Dorset.

As operators of tourism businesses, Planning Solutions Consulting also has direct access to the expertise of their operations team. This practical hands-on operational experience helps to create a significant positive impact when working on tourism projects and brings a strong commercial realism to projects. It also means we understand the challenges faced by operators of tourism businesses (particularly in the time of COVID-19 and the current economic crisis) and how to develop projects which are sustainable, meet the needs of the visitor and the community and respond to other needs such contributing towards placemaking and the local economy.

Contact
If you have any questions about our work or would like to discuss a potential project on a confidential basis please contact Richard Linington on 07866 742628 or email richard@pslplan.co.uk