Planning Consultant in Dover and Deal
Planning consultant for Dover, Deal, Sandwich and rural Dover district. Applications, appeals and prior approval.
LOCATIONS
Andrew Ransome
10/17/20262 min read
Dover Planning Consultant
If you need a planning consultant in Dover, I provide independent planning advice across the Dover district: Dover, Deal, Sandwich and the rural villages between them.
My work in the district ranges from a 28-home scheme won on appeal, to residential development on the edge of Deal, a rural glamping site and a residential conversion under permitted development rights.
I am Andrew Ransome MRTPI, a Chartered Town Planner with more than two decades of experience in planning applications, appeals and planning policy.
Planning in the Dover District
The Dover District Local Plan to 2040 was adopted on 16 October 2024. It replaced the 2010 Core Strategy, the 2015 Land Allocations Local Plan and the remaining 2002 policies, so most decisions now turn on its policies.
The Ash and Worth neighbourhood plans also form part of the development plan.
The issues that come up most often are:
Settlement boundaries and the countryside, including rural tourism, which the 2024 plan supports.
Open space designations on the proposals map, which can cover land with no public access or value.
Heritage in Sandwich, Deal and Dover's conservation areas, and the Kent Downs National Landscape.
Change of use of rural and commercial buildings under permitted development.
Planning Services in Dover
Site appraisals against the new Local Plan to 2040.
Planning applications for new homes, rural tourism and changes of use.
Planning appeals against refusal or non-determination by Dover District Council.
Prior approval for conversions of agricultural and commercial buildings.
Glamping, holiday lets and tourism schemes in the countryside. See my guide to planning permission for glamping sites.
My Planning Examples in Dover
28 homes allowed on appeal: land designated as open space, won after a High Court challenge quashed an earlier dismissed appeal.
Nine houses in Deal: outline permission on designated open space that had no public access and was absent from the council's Open Spaces Strategy.
Ten glamping pods: approved outside a village settlement boundary under the rural tourism policies of the 2024 Local Plan.
Two homes by prior approval in Woodnesborough: a light industrial building converted under Class PA permitted development rights.
Planning Advice in Dover
If you own land in or around Dover, Deal or Sandwich, I can tell you how the new Local Plan treats it before you spend money on an application. See also my work across Kent and in neighbouring Thanet and Canterbury.
Andrew Ransome MRTPI - Email: andrew@andrewransome.co.uk
About me
Andrew Ransome is a Planning Director and a Chartered Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), with more than two decades of experience in town planning.
He specialises in delivering strategic planning solutions for complex developments across both rural and urban environments, helping clients navigate planning challenges and unlock development opportunities. Connect with Andrew on Linkedin.
Planning Successes in Kent
Get in Touch
Email: andrew@andrewransome.co.uk
Tel: 020 7096 8045
London Office:
60 Tottenham Court Road
Fitzrovia
London
W1T 2EW
© 2026 Andrew Ransome Town Planning Ltd. All rights reserved.
Content on this website is provided for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute formal planning, professional, or legal advice. Planning policies, legislation, and guidance are subject to change. Site-specific assessment by a qualified consultant is recommended before making development decisions.
Projects highlighted across this website represent professional work undertaken by Andrew Ransome throughout his career.