What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

Barker Parry Town Planning

Home
United Kingdom
Hitchin
Barker Parry Town Planning

Friendly, expert advice to support your planning requirements, large or small

07/09/2026

Celebrating 6 Years – Kenya Sharland at Barker Parry Town Planning

This week is our Associate Kenya Sharland’s 6th anniversary at Barker Parry! 🎊

Kenya is equally at home with rural and urban development planning. She works across both residential and commercial development, providing clients with honest and clear advice to maximise the chance of success.

Kenya is an important part of what makes Barker Parry a lovely place to spend our workdays and when she brings in Pipper our head of security, then it’s even better!

Congratulations on your 6 year anniversary, Kenya, and here's to many more! 🥂

04/09/2026

We get asked this a lot — 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡'𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑎 𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑛 𝐴𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑐𝑡?

It’s a great question, and knowing the answer can save you both time and money.

Planners navigate the planning system, ensuring your proposal ticks every box when it comes to planning laws, and advising about the best strategy.

Architects focus on the design of your project and produce your plans. They may also liaise with your builder and / or structural engineer.

So, when do you need a Planning Consultant?

For some household projects your architect will happily handle your application on your behalf.

We’re here for the complex projects where our level of expertise can make a real difference.

We can help reduce the risk of resistance, refusal or an appeal, via our understanding of the inner workings of your local planning authority, and the nuance of planning law.

Chances are, you’ll benefit from expert planning advice. We help you get it right the first time, avoiding costly delays or re-submissions.

Still unsure? Drop us a message - we’re always happy to talk planning.

https://barkerparry.co.uk/contact/

02/09/2026

🏡 Is Your House Bursting at the Seams?

Maybe the kids' toys have taken over the living room, you're desperate for a separate utility room, or your family simply needs a little more space.

Moving isn't always the answer. An extension could give you the extra room you need while making your current home work better for you.

From a larger kitchen or family room to a downstairs loo, utility room or home office, we can advise on what may be feasible and whether your plans could fall under permitted development or require planning permission.

Not sure what's possible? That's where we can help.

Find out more and get in touch: https://barkerparry.co.uk/

27/08/2026

🏛️ Celebrating Our Local Heritage 🏛️

Working in town planning means we spend a lot of time looking at how places change over time. It also gives us a real appreciation for the buildings and landscapes that have been around for much longer than we have, and Hertfordshire is full of places that are well worth exploring.

Here are three of our favourites:

🪨 𝗥𝗼𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝘃𝗲
A Scheduled Monument and Grade I listed building, Royston Cave is covered in medieval carvings, although nobody knows for certain who created them or why. It’s a fascinating piece of local history - and still something of a mystery.

⛪ 𝗦𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆'𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵, 𝗛𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻
Parts of St Mary’s date back to the 13th century, making it one of the oldest buildings in town. This beautiful Grade I listed church is full of historic details, including its stained glass and stonework. A true landmark at the heart of Hitchin.

🏛️ 𝗞𝗻𝗲𝗯𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲
This Grade II* listed building has a long history, with one wing of the house dating from the 16th century, and Victorian additions made later. There’s always something going on here, with the parklands and gardens and seasonal events all year.

It’s interesting to think about how much history we pass by every day, and how those layers of history help give our towns and villages their character and identity.

Have you visited any of these local treasures? Let us know which is your favourite!

26/08/2026

We must give props to our Head of Security Pipper as it is International Dog Day! 🐾

In exchange for making sure the team are safe, she receives her wages in snacky bits (her favourite being carrots!) as a reward.

What a good employee! 🐶

25/08/2026

🏡 Ever wondered why some building projects get approved and others don’t? It often comes down to how well a proposal responds to planning policy.

Planning policy provides the framework for what can be built, where, and how. But understanding how those policies apply to your individual project is key to putting together a strong planning application.

For homeowners, planning policy can affect everything from extensions and loft conversions to new-build homes. Getting the right planning advice early can help you understand what’s possible, avoid costly changes and give your proposal the best chance of success.

Thinking about a project? Getting planning advice from the start can make the process much smoother.

20/08/2026

🌈 Celebrating Community in North Hertfordshire 🌈

At Barker Parry, we're proud to be part of a community that celebrates diversity, inclusion and belonging.

North Herts Pride is a fantastic local not-for-profit organisation supporting the LGBTQIA+ community across Hitchin, Baldock, Letchworth and Royston, while creating opportunities for people to come together, connect and celebrate.

We love to support the events that help make Hitchin welcoming and inclusive. We're pleased to share this year's North Herts Pride event, with the details in the image below.

Find out more about North Herts Pride and the work they do on their page: North Herts Pride page

19/08/2026

💡𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝘂𝘆! 💡

We recently helped a client dodge a difficult and costly situation!

Our client had put in an offer on a property, and applied for an extension. After negative feedback from the Council, they asked us to work out what size of extension would be possible. We found that the property was connected to a listed building – known as curtilage listed.

𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱.

This has a big impact for extending or improving that home. Following our advice they withdrew their offer before becoming financially committed, or legally liable for any unauthorised works to the building.

If you are planning on buying - especially in Hitchin with its Conservation Areas and wealth of listed buildings, or in Letchworth with the additional layer of the Heritage Foundation - ask us to review the property pre-purchase and make sure you don’t have any unpleasant surprises!

18/08/2026

🎉 Celebrating 9 years at Barker Parry!

This week we’re celebrating nine years of our Managing Director, Liz Fitzgerald, at Barker Parry.

Since joining us, Liz has played a huge part in helping the business grow and evolve, while building a fantastic team and continuing to deliver great planning advice to clients across Hitchin and beyond.

Congratulations, Liz, and thank you for everything you’ve brought to Barker Parry over the past nine years! 🥂

Here’s to many more! 🎉

13/08/2026

🏖️ Have You Visited Hitchin Beach Yet? ☀️

If you’re in Hitchin this summer, you may have spotted the beach in the Market Place.

Running until 31st August, it’s a fun addition to the town centre during the school holidays, with a giant sandpit, deckchairs, children’s rides and activities for families to enjoy.

We love seeing the town come to life with events and activities that give people another reason to spend time in Hitchin.

A special mention to @‌The Puppet Company and @‌Cloud Nine Baby Boutique for getting behind Hitchin Beach, with support from @‌Brookers. It’s great to see local businesses coming together to support events and initiatives in our town.

Find out more here: https://visithitchin.com/event/hitchin-beach-2/

Address

33 Bancroft
Hitchin
SG51LA

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Website

http://barkerparry.co.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Barker Parry Town Planning posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Barker Parry Town Planning:

Want your business to be the top-listed Business in Hitchin?