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Barker Parry Town Planning

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Barker Parry Town Planning

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

13/10/2026

Today we are feeling grateful to welcome ‌Natalie Brett to our at Barker Parry Town Planning.

Natalie joins us having previously worked as an estate agency administrator and also in corporate communications. We are delighted to welcome her to her new role as Administrator.

Natalie says, “I am really excited to join the fantastic team at Barker Parry and look forward to learning more about the complexities of the planning process and how I can best support the success of the team”.

We’re thrilled to introduce her to the world of town planning!

12/10/2026

🎉 We have some big news!

We’re delighted to welcome Katie Smith to Barker Parry as a Director.

Katie will work alongside our MD Liz Fitzgerald and brings with her a wealth of experience and knowledge from a career spanning both local government and private practice.

In fact, Liz and Katie first worked together at Stevenage Borough Council more than 20 years ago. Since then, they’ve both built successful careers in planning, and along the way, developed a shared belief in what good planning advice should look like: honest, practical and focused on achieving the right outcome for the client.

We’re really pleased to have Katie on board and look forward to seeing what the future holds for Barker Parry.

If you’re looking for advice or support with your planning requirements, Katie would be very happy to help.

📩 Get in touch ⬇️

📧 [email protected]
📞 01462 420224

08/10/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸

We are proud to be based in 𝗛𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻, 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲, but we work across England and Wales.

Want to have a chat about a planning query? Get in touch today:

📞 01462 420 224

📧[email protected]

07/10/2026

🏡 Thinking about external wall insulation for your home?

External wall insulation (EWI) can be a great way to improve your home’s energy efficiency, helping to keep your home warmer and potentially reducing heat loss and energy costs. ☀️

It can also transform the appearance of your home, giving it a fresh, updated look.

If you’re considering EWI, it’s worth checking the planning position before you get started. Whether planning permission is required can depend on factors such as the age and style of your property, its location, and the type of insulation and external finish you choose.

Not sure what applies to your home? Get in touch and we can help you understand the planning considerations for your project. ⬇️

📧 [email protected]
📞 01462 420224

06/10/2026

🏡 PLANNING MYTH #2: “𝐌𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐬𝐨 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐨!”

Not necessarily!

A neighbouring approval can be useful information, but every planning application is considered on its own circumstances.

The size and design of the proposal, its relationship with neighbouring properties, privacy, light, parking and local planning policies can all affect the decision.

Even very similar properties can have different planning considerations.

💡 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐩: Your neighbour’s planning history may be worth looking at, but it’s not a guarantee that your proposal will receive the same outcome.

30/09/2026

🏡 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗬𝗧𝗛 #𝟭: “𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗼!”

𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲… 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗮𝘁!

It is possible to make amendments after a planning application has been submitted. However, changes can 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀, particularly if revised plans or further consultation are required.

And once planning permission has been granted, you 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀.

This includes changes to the design, layout, elevations, materials, or other details that form part of the approved scheme.

Depending on the change, you may need to submit an application to amend the permission or make a new application.

💡 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗽: Get the design and drawings as close as possible to what you want before submitting. It can save time, money, and frustration later.

29/09/2026

🍕 𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁?

A recent project in 𝗟𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 is a good example of why signage proposals can involve more than simply choosing a new look for a business.

Lia Groves, our Assistant Planner, supported our client in securing consent for new signage for an upcoming pizza restaurant. As the site is within a 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗮, the signage needed to be designed carefully to fit in with the existing area.

The project also required approval from the 𝗟𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, which was secured alongside the necessary consent from the Council.

We were particularly pleased to see Lia receive such positive feedback from our client:

“Thank you so much. You were very helpful, updating us from time to time and available for any queries from our side. Thanks for the wonderful work.”

A great result for our client and a fantastic piece of work from Lia. With the necessary approvals now in place, we’re looking forward to seeing the new restaurant and its signage come to life. 🍕

𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀? 𝗪𝗲’𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱.

24/09/2026

🍂 Enjoying autumn in North Hertfordshire 🍂

There’s something about this time of year that makes getting outside even better. The changing colours and crisp mornings make autumn a great excuse to get out for a walk. 🍁

We’re lucky to have so many lovely green spaces on our doorstep here in North Hertfordshire, and there are plenty of places to explore, from woodland trails to open countryside. 🌳🐄

North Herts Council has shared five parks and nature reserves worth visiting this autumn. If you fancy getting out and discovering somewhere new, take a look:

👉 https://www.north-herts.gov.uk/news/five-north-herts-parks-and-nature-reserves-explore-autumn

23/09/2026

Our team enjoyed a fantastic day out in Cambridge yesterday, with punting and a picnic on the River Cam, followed by drinks at The Anchor.

It was a fun way to take in Cambridge’s historic fabric, and naturally, there was plenty of planner-style speculation and conversation along the way. We found ourselves discussing the planning and conservation decisions behind some of the buildings and developments, as well as enjoying our punter’s stories about the colleges themselves!

Outdoor plans are always a bit of a gamble at this time of year, but we were lucky to have blue skies and lovely temperatures.

More importantly, it was great to get everyone together and enjoy some time away from the day-to-day.

22/09/2026

If your boiler is due to be replaced anyway, it could be the right time to switch to a heat pump. 🌍

The government is funding £7,500 towards new heat pumps and some suppliers are helping cover the remainder as well, meaning for some it won’t cost a penny.

The Money Saving Expert explains it all here:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/heat-pumps-grant/

You won’t normally need planning permission for installing these as it is usually counted as permitted development. However, there can be some restrictions, such as if you live in a listed building or conservation area.

Contact us if you have any questions! ⬇️

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

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/

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