McLoughlin Planning Ltd

We recently obtained planning permission for a new leisure centre in Sandwell.  The application sought the demolition and redevelopment of the existing, closed leisure centre with a more modern facility.  The approved scheme represents a significant investment in Sandwell’s health and leisure facility infrastructure and accords with national and local policy.  The development will also increase access to sport and recreation facilities, including for people with disabilities.  

Demolition and replacement of an existing building – key planning considerations

It was an interesting project and as ever, not without its challenges. The 0.77 hectares site is located in a predominantly residential area.  The existing building stands adjacent to the historic landscape of Haden Hill Park (a Designated Landscape of High Historic Value) and is close to a cluster of Grade II listed buildings.  But clever design, which maximised the use of existing landscape gradients and topography, helped to ensure that there were no discernible detrimental impacts on the heritage assets or surrounding residential amenity as a result of the proposals.   

BNG, Flood Risk and Renewable Energy were also key areas for consideration.  Not only were we able to evidence that a gain of 18.6% BNG can be provided on site, which is well over the statutory requirement.  But the scheme will also generate 10% of its residual energy requirement from renewable means. 

The importance of good design on a sensitive site

Furthermore, the closed leisure centre had been expanded and added to over several years, leading to a confusing building which didn’t make best use of the space and detracted from user experience.  The team at Roberts Limbrick Architects responded by designing a building which seeks to make full use of the existing site, will adapt well to the existing topography and context, will enhance user experience not only in the state-of-the-art facilities provided but also in the considered site arrangement and building floor plans, which have been designed to be accessible, inclusive, and to provide a range of opportunities for users of all abilities to promote active lives.  Furthermore, this clever design will provide more facilities than were previously available whilst also improving the character and appearance of the street scene.  

Planning for public spaces and uses

It was an absolute pleasure to be involved in this scheme, and we are so pleased with the positive outcome for our client.  This development seeks to replace the existing leisure centre which closed in March 2024, with a modern, accessible and inclusive new leisure centre.  The considered design and layout will help to ensure best use of a challenging topography, provide state of the art facilities for the local community and improve the local street scene.   

We are experienced in providing full planning consultancy services for public sector projects, from leisure centres to town masterplanning. Contact us today to see how we can best assist on your development project.  

How we can help

We are McLoughlin Planning, and our team has a simple objective: to get results for our clients by providing high-quality planning consultancy.    

Our team of chartered town planning consultants deal with a host of interesting planning projects from across southern England and Wales – from strategic promotions and commercial premises to private developments and rural projects.    

We are a friendly and approachable team who care passionately about the built environment, always striving to get the best outcome for our clients and the community.    

If you have a development project which would benefit from expert planning consultancy input, then feel free to view our full ‘About Us’ page to view which of our planning consultants best fit your needs and contact us through either our ‘Arrange a Call‘ tab on our contact page or via the email and telephone number provided below.  

Joe Seymour – Associate Director   

McLoughlin Planning is pleased to have helped a property owner secure Permission in Principle (PiP) with the London Borough of Sutton for an upward extension (airspace) development for 9 new flats. This is the first approved Permission in Principle granted by this London Borough.

Due to the significant number of reports and plans required through validation for full planning permissions, we have been approached by SME developers to find a means of managing development risk and to ensure the principle of their aspirations is something which can be agreed with the Council before investing in the technical work required. This is particularly applicable to constrained inner-city urban development sites where upward extensions for airspace development can be met with resistance.

Following previous success in London in using Permission in Principle, we worked with the landowner to develop a scheme which could be presented through a PiP to secure the principle of airspace development for the property. As this application type considers only the location, land use and amount of development, the level of supporting information is a fraction of a full planning permission. Whilst it does not remove the considerations and risks of subsequent technical considerations, it does provide an opportunity to agree with the Council whether the amount (i.e. number of residential flats) and location of the airspace development is acceptable. As PiP’s are limited to up to 9 residential units, this type of proposal is ideally suited for smaller development proposals in urban areas.

Following submission, McLoughlin Planning worked closely with the Council and case officer to ensure the proposal was being determined correctly and to agree with the officer on the appropriate amount of development which would be realistic to approve for further technical consent.

We are so pleased to have helped provide the landowner with reassurance through the PiP of their property’s development potential and to secure another first with a London Borough.

📞 If you would like a FREE initial consultation call to explore whether your property could benefit from PiP, then please get in touch!

Chris Moore,