Tourism Needs and Development Impact Assessment Consultant

Tourism development projects, whether establishing a new tourism business or enhancing or altering an existing one, may require, as part of the planning application, a supporting Tourism Needs and Development Impact Assessment. This document provides the local planning authority with the evidence it needs to assess whether a proposed scheme is justified, viable, and appropriately scaled for its setting. Depending on the project, this could include identifying, for example:

1. Market need and demand: The ‘need’ within the area for the type of tourism development being proposed, demonstrating that  market demand exists for the tourism product or experience on offer. This typically draws on visitor trend data, gaps in the local accommodation or attraction offer, and comparison with similar developments elsewhere in the region, so that the planning authority can see the proposal responds to a real opportunity rather than simply adding capacity for its own sake.
2. Long-term financial viability: The business plan must identify the long-term financial viability of the tourism business, including realistic occupancy or visitor projections, operating costs, and revenue forecasts. A credible viability case reassures planners that the development is sustainable in the long run and unlikely to become vacant, underused, or subject to a change-of-use application.
3. Local community and economic impact: The impact on the local community which will be generated by the investment, for example, the number of jobs which will be created during construction and operational phases, and the potential increase in spend by visitors within the local economy, including spend in nearby shops, pubs, and other tourism businesses.
4. Traffic and parking: The potential levels of vehicle movements which will be generated by the development, alongside parking space requirements. This often involves working alongside transport consultants to ensure the proposal can demonstrate it won’t place undue strain on the local road network or create parking conflicts with neighbouring uses.
5. Design quality and sustainability:   The project design team will need to demonstrate that the tourism development is of a high quality, with sustainability at the heart of the project, addressing how the scheme responds to its landscape or townscape setting, and how sustainable design and construction principles have been incorporated, in line with local plan policy and national planning guidance

How can we help?

Planning Solutions Consulting has worked on a wide range of tourism projects, from tourist accommodation to visitor attraction, heritage developments to watersports facilities and broader tourism destination planning. Visit our homepage. If you’d like to discuss a Tourism Needs and Development Impact Assessment project, get in touch with Richard Linington at richard@pslplan.co.uk or call 07866 742628.