Planning Solutions Consulting has worked with a range of clients from the Northumberland National Park Authority through to Forestry England, Kent County Council, Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Somerset County Council, Natural Resources Wales, the Elan Valley Trust, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, Historic Environment Scotland and East Lothian Council.
Visitor gateway and visitor welcome hub feasibility study
Visitor Gateway & Welcome Hub Feasibility Studies
Planning Solutions Consulting Limited specialises in working in the tourism and wider visitor experience sectors. On the projects we work on often there is a careful balance to be achieved between impacts on the environment, host communities and commercial drivers. We are experienced in carrying out detailed market reviews, preparing income generation plans and financial analysis – forecasting visitor numbers, identifying spend levels and cost centres to test the financial viability of development proposals. We also produce detailed business plans to support capital funding projects.
Our Experience
We have worked on a wide range of visitor gateway and welcome hub projects, including:
- Epping Forest Heritage Trust – Feasibility study to enhance the financial resilience and public engagement of the Epping Forest Visitor Centre at High Beach, a gateway to the 6,000-acre forest
- Forestry England – Feasibility study for a secondary visitor hub to enhance the overall visitor experience at Dalby Forest
- Newark and Sherwood District Council – Advisory work on opportunities to enhance the visitor experience at Forest Corner, a key gateway to Sherwood Forest
- Shropshire Wildlife Trust – Feasibility study for a new visitor gateway hub to the Marches Mosses
- RSPB – Review of architect-led proposals for the Welcome Building at RSPB St Aidan’s, including visitor number forecasting and commercial assessment
- Swansea Council – Feasibility study for a dual-purpose gateway hub in rural Gower, serving both visitors and the local community and business network
How We Work
For established gateway sites, our focus is typically on helping clients develop a more resilient and sustainable operating model. For new or proposed sites, we work alongside clients from the earliest stages to help shape the concept and rigorously test its viability.
Our process typically encompasses:
- Location and site assessment
- Stakeholder consultation and community engagement
- Strategic context review — building the strategic investment case
- Planning policy assessment
- Market assessment — identifying and quantifying demand
- Case study analysis — learning from best practice across the sector
- Options appraisal — identifying the form, scale, and supporting infrastructure of the gateway or hub
- Management, governance, and staffing model development
- Trading profile — identifying income streams and cost centres
- Risk assessment
- Funding strategy and advice
Where projects require it, we can assemble and lead a wider multidisciplinary team, including landscape architects, architects, and cost consultants.
Operational Experience
What truly sets us apart is that we don’t just consult on visitor experiences — we run them. Through our sister company, Planning Solutions Limited, we directly operate a portfolio of established visitor sites, including:
CONKERS – a 120-acre forest experience in Leicestershire – a gateway to the National Forest
Kent Life – a heritage farm park in Kent
Cotswold Country Park and Beach – a popular activity and leisure destination in the Cotswolds
This hands-on experience gives us an insider’s understanding of the financial pressures, operational realities, and commercial drivers that determine whether a visitor site truly thrives in the long term. We know what it takes to build sustainable, resilient businesses — not from the outside looking in, but from direct, day-to-day involvement.
Our operational experience translates directly into better consultancy advice. We bring:
- Live trading intelligence – real-time insight from actively managed businesses, not just desk research
- Commercial realism – we understand what works in practice, not just in theory
- Operational empathy – we know the pressures and challenges tourism and leisure operators face day to day
- Broader sector knowledge – spanning visitor attractions, heritage, outdoor experiences, and tourist accommodation
The result for our clients is consultancy grounded in commercial realism — practical, honest, and shaped by experience. We are drawing on genuine operational experience to help develop projects that are commercially viable, visitor-focused, and beneficial to the wider community — whether that involves education, learning, placemaking or local economic development
How can we help?
If have any questions about developing a visitor gateway or welcome hub, please don’t hesitate to call Richard Linington on 07866 742628 or email richard@pslplan.co.uk