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Who We Are
Stefano Smith Planning is an independent planning and development consultancy that works across Scotland, providing professional, personal, trusted, focused, innovative and affordable planning advice to private and public sector businesses, organisations and individuals across a range of sectors. No commission is too small or too large.
Every client can expect high quality, technically excellent and commercially astute advice, based on substantial expertise and experience. We help our clients create value, protect value and manage risk. We continuously evolve what we do, responding and adapting to the aspirations and needs of our clients and the changing economic, technical and policy environment in which we work. This optimises the opportunity of achieving the desired outcome for our clients.
We deliver a professional service across all stages of the ‘development lifecycle’- pre-development, planning, construction and operation. We draw from over 30 years’ direct experience in cutting edge projects in planning, regeneration, urban design, environmental and economic development. A range of services is offered to suit the needs of different client groups and geographical circumstances, and we can happily operate as either lead consultant, or as part of the project team.
Our key sectors are housing, commercial, energy & renewables, heritage & listed buildings, rural diversification and public consultation. We have particular expertise in large-scale, mixed use urban developments and sustainable town and city expansions. We also provide advice in the negotiation of developer contributions, ensuring these are fair and proportionate to the proposed development. As part of this offer, we have developed specialist, niche planning services, such as strategic site searches and socio-economic assessments.
Our Core Values
Creativity, collaboration and commitment are at the core of Stefano Smith Planning.
Creative
Our service is creative. We are independent thinkers. Our approach to client service means that clients can throw complex problems and issues at us and know that we will deliver. All our planning and development work is evidence-based and informed by a deep understanding of what it takes to deliver construction and create quality places where people want to live, work and play and businesses want to invest.
Committed
We are ambitious and committed. We provide personal and trusted advice. We only make practical and actionable recommendations that can be readily implemented.
Our commitment builds trusted and enduring relationships with our clients.
Collaborative
We collaborate with our clients and fellow professionals to deliver some of the most viable and resilient projects across Scotland. We have a strong reputation for taking the initiative to extend our knowledge, seek out opinions and challenge our approach and methodologies through positive collaboration. The open-minded and collaborative approach to our work is embedded within our culture and values. Collaboration is at the heart of our delivery model, ensuring that stakeholders have shared ownership of the project outcomes. It is vital that the strategy we develop for you is pragmatic, sustainable, viable and understood, and delivers your needs. Our collaborative approach maximises value for our clients.
We regularly work alongside a range of built environment experts. They are experts in their particular areas and we enjoy collaborating with them.
Why We Are Different
As a small consultancy we offer a personal service to our clients. You will have a dedicated ‘Director-level’ point of contact who will work on your project from inception to completion.
We give honest, trusted, realistic advice which is based upon our considerable experience of advising on a range of projects over more than 30 years,
We can lead our clients through every step of the planning process in response to their requirements. We understand and have experience of operating throughout the ‘development lifecycle’- pre-development, planning, construction to operation – the context in which you are having to make decisions.
“Always enjoy working with Stefano. Professional and thorough while maintaining a good perspective (including a sense of humour) on matters.”
Murray Shaw, Chair of Court – Abertay University
Our Team
Stefano Smith FRTPI, Director
Stefano is a commercial and pragmatic development planner with a strong customer focus. He has over 30 years of UK professional experience of managing multi-disciplinary teams within a planning, environmental, design and engineering consultancy. He has extensive experience in providing development planning and project management services in the environment, infrastructure, energy, commercial, industrial, housing and mixed-use sectors.
Stefano is a Chartered Fellow of the Royal Town Planning Institute (FRTPI). Fellowship is a visible demonstration of planning excellence and expertise. Being recognised as a Fellow is one of the highest professional attainments within the RTPI, demonstrating leadership, innovation, contribution to others in the profession and the community, and going above and beyond that expected as an ordinary competent professional planner. He is also an RTPI Board Trustee, RTPI General Assembly Corporate Member and RTPI Education and Lifelong Learning Committee Chair.
Stefano has specific experience in statutory planning (including approvals & consents and expert witness), sustainability, regeneration, master planning & urban design, consultation & engagement strategies & tools and development economics.
Stefano has successfully advised, negotiated and delivered complex land development and infrastructure projects of a range of sizes. He has experience in both the private and public sectors, particularly regarding the principles and practice of the economics of urban regeneration, land development, sustainability, urban design, complex environmental assessment and project management. He is an experienced practitioner in stakeholder engagement and the development of communication strategies, as well as the use of appraisal and assessment tools.