SJM Planning

24/10/2025

We’re thrilled to share that Prior Approval has been granted for a new agricultural storage building to support the amazing PYO at Groombridge Hill.

The building will provide on-site storage for machinery, packaging, and seasonal equipment — something the farm previously lacked. It’s a big step forward for a local business that’s growing pumpkins, sunflowers, and asparagus across 12.5ha of Kent countryside 🌻🎃🥬

We were brought on board after the client saw our posts on The Farming Forum — proof that online connections can lead to real-world results!

✅ Supports 10ha of asparagus
✅ 2ha of pumpkins
✅ 1.5ha of sunflowers
✅ Boosts local agri-tourism

Thanks to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council for their constructive approach throughout.

15/10/2025

Planning permission secured for dog daycare facility



We’re thrilled to announce that SJM Planning has successfully secured planning permission for a new dog daycare facility within a former agricultural building — located in both a National Landscape and the Green Belt.



The proposal involved the part conversion of an existing agricultural building which had previously been granted prior approval. As the building, was no longer required, it should have been removed as per the legislation, and therefore the Case Officer concluded that the proposal would constitute inappropriate development within the Green Belt.



Through a robust and well-evidenced case, we demonstrated that the development would however bring clear benefits to the rural economy, including local job creation and the provision of a high-quality, much-needed service in the area. These very special circumstances were considered to outweigh the harm caused to the openness of the Green Belt.



Additionally, the application received over 80 letters of support from regular users of the facility — a fantastic endorsement of the community value of the proposal.



We also worked closely with transport consultants Caneparo, who expertly addressed highway matters raised during the application process.



A great outcome for a thriving rural business, and a testament to what’s possible with clear strategy, collaboration, and community support.

09/10/2025

Success! 🥳 We're delighted to have secured planning permission for a new replacement dwelling in the Green Belt, replacing a former agricultural building.

This project was a masterclass in strategy: we first secured a Class Q fallback position, then leveraged the new "Grey Belt" policy to achieve a higher-quality design that fully met the client's needs.

The result is a beautifully stepped home—single-storey from the street, two-storey at the rear—that respects the landscape. Thanks to our partners! SJM Surveys , SJM Projects , Amethyst Ecology, Quaife Woodlands, Achieve Green.

19/09/2025

🏡 Planning a home extension, loft conversion, or new build? Come and chat with us!
SJM Planning is at the Homebuilding & Renovating Show at ExCeL London from Friday 19th to Sunday 21sr September — and we’d love to meet you.

Whether you're just starting out or deep in the design phase, we offer clear, practical planning advice to help bring your ideas to life.

✨ What’s at the show:
- 1000s of products from 100s of exhibitors
- Expert-led seminars and live masterclasses
- Free one-to-one advice from our planners and designers

📍 Find us at Stand F122
🎟️ Free tickets available here https://registration.homebuildingshow.co.uk/Forms/Hom00Visitor.aspx?FormRef=Hom95Visitor&PageNo=1&TrackingCode=SJM%20Projects
☕ Friendly advice, real conversations, and maybe a sweet or two.

15/09/2025

We’ve been a bit quiet on here… but for good reason!

While we’ve been off social media, we’ve been busy bringing our clients’ projects to life — and now we’re back to share what we’ve been up to!

🎉 Exciting news: This weekend we’re exhibiting at the Homebuilding & Renovating Show 2025 at London’s ExCeL Centre — our third year running!

We’ll be there with our sister companies SJM Planning and SJM Surveys, and this year we’re teaming up with our friends at Hodel Consulting Engineers to offer insights into everything from Surveying, Planning, Architecture, Civils & Drainage.

📍 Come visit us at Stand F122
🎟️ Grab your free tickets and let’s talk about turning your dream project into reality!

https://registration.homebuildingshow.co.uk/Visitor/Index/HomeBuildingLondon.aspx?PageNo=1&TrackingCode=SJM%20Projects&_gl=1*zyq3l4*_gcl_au*MjM1Mjg5Nzg1LjE3NTMyNTk4NzcuNjQ0MTY1OTcxLjE3NTc5MjcxMDEuMTc1NzkyODI0MQ

30/07/2025

~ Russell hotel gains planning permission ~

Level Architecture and are pleased to announce that planning permission has been granted for the conversion of a hotel in Tunbridge Wells into nine high-quality residential flats. A fantastic start for this project in a sort after area in Tunbridge Wells.

The property originally comprised three separate residential dwellings, which had been combined to create the hotel. The design approach focused on simplicity and sensitivity—subdividing each of the original buildings into three self-contained flats. This required minimal internal alterations and allowed us to retain the existing window arrangements, reducing the need for external changes. This was a key consideration given the site’s location within a Conservation Area.

By submitting ahead of upcoming changes in the Emerging Local Plan, we were able to avoid the requirement for an 18-month marketing exercise. Nonetheless, a demonstration was still needed to prove that the hotel use was no longer viable.

While the loss of the hotel is unfortunate, it reflects wider market challenges. The rise of platforms like Airbnb, combined with competition from large low-cost hotel chains, has made it increasingly difficult for independent budget hotels to remain commercially sustainable.

This approval not only brings new life to a building with residential origins but also delivers much-needed housing in a well-connected and desirable location.

11/07/2025

We’re pleased to announce that planning permission has been granted for the conversion of a hotel in Tunbridge Wells into nine high-quality residential flats—a fantastic end to the week for both our team and our client!

The property originally comprised three separate residential dwellings, which had been combined to create the hotel. The design approach focused on simplicity and sensitivity—subdividing each of the original buildings into three self-contained flats. This required minimal internal alterations and allowed us to retain the existing window arrangements, reducing the need for external changes. This was a key consideration given the site’s location within a Conservation Area.

By submitting ahead of upcoming changes in the Emerging Local Plan, we were able to avoid the requirement for an 18-month marketing exercise. Nonetheless, we still needed to demonstrate that the hotel use was no longer viable.

While the loss of the hotel is unfortunate, it reflects wider market challenges. The rise of platforms like Airbnb, combined with competition from large low-cost hotel chains, has made it increasingly difficult for independent budget hotels to remain commercially sustainable.

This approval not only brings new life to a building with residential origins but also delivers much-needed housing in a well-connected and desirable location.

Thank you to everyone involved in bringing this project together – Level Architecture , Ecology Essex, ES Acoustics, Simons Parsons – Eddisons

04/07/2025

Last week we were thrilled to inform our client that we had successfully secured planning permission for their new dwelling and annex in the Green Belt. A result that required both careful design and a robust planning strategy.

Navigating Green Belt policy is always a challenge, but through a clear vision, detailed justification and constructive engagement with the LPA through a pre-application enquiry we were able to make this development a success.

This project initially involved the submission of a pre-application enquiry with Love Reigate and Banstead and once the principal of the proposal had been agreed (limited infilling within a village) we had proactive discussions regarding the proposed design and scale of the dwelling.

A comprehensive design was prepared by our sister company SJM Projects to include the proposed dwelling, annex, parking and landscaping. The property was sited to retain the existing mature trees on site and took into account the positioning of neighbouring built form. A suitable design was prepared taking into account local vernacular and a considerate ridge height.

Thank you to the team for making this project a success, including SJM Surveys, SJM Projects, Amythest Ecology and AD Trees.

03/07/2025

KM Surveying Ltd thank you for your support and for joining our four-ball for such an enjoyable round!

01/07/2025

16/06/2025

*Planning Approved!*

We’re delighted to share that we recently secured planning permission for a two-storey side and rear extension to an existing property in a village near Maidstone. The client approached us after receiving two refusals for previous schemes. We carefully reviewed those earlier proposals and, in collaboration with our sister company SJM Projects , developed a revised design that addressed the previous reasons for refusal while meeting the client’s requirements for space and layout.

Throughout the application process, we worked closely with the Case Officer, who was able to successfully engage with the Parish Council. Their objection was withdrawn, such that the application could be determined under delegated powers helping to avoid any delays in the decision-making process.

We’re excited to see the project progress into the next phase and wish our client the very best for the build ahead.

11/06/2025

At SJM, we don’t always handle the most glamorous applications. But the ones that truly matter—the ones that genuinely change lives—are the ones we love most. Nothing beats the satisfaction of telling a client their planning permission has been granted.

One recent success involved securing retrospective permission for the conversion of a former cart lodge into a residential dwelling. After a previous refusal (dealt with by another agent), we approached the resubmission with fresh perspective, and the result speaks for itself.

Our client was overjoyed, sending us flowers, chocolates, and this wonderful feedback:

"A heartfelt thank you for accomplishing what once felt impossible. Brilliant work!"

Moments like these remind us why we do what we do.