What Lichfields UK does

Lichfields (legal name Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners Limited) is a UK planning and development consultancy founded in 1962 and headquartered at The Minster Building, 21 Mincing Lane, London. The firm operates from nine UK offices — London, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, and Thames Valley — and serves enterprise developers, housebuilders, local authorities, and infrastructure companies across 17 industry sectors including housing, aviation, education, energy, health, hotels, infrastructure, mixed use and regeneration, offices/industry/logistics, public sector, retirement and care, sports and stadia, student accommodation, tourism and leisure, and town centre and retail. Core service offerings span planning application management, community consultation, development economics and viability assessments, expert witness testimony at public inquiries and examinations, environmental and heritage assessments, Development Consent Order support for nationally significant infrastructure projects, GIS and spatial analytics, land promotion, masterplanning and urban design, plan making, and emerging advisory work on digital planning reform and new towns.

The firm's underlying technology stack is professional services expertise rather than a software platform. Specialist technical capabilities include GIS and spatial analytics, environmental and heritage impact assessment, natural light/daylight and sunlight analysis, townscape and visual impact assessment, and in-house graphic design for planning submissions. There is no app, no public API, no disclosed software integrations, and no AI/ML capability disclosed in the source data. The firm supplements its consulting work with content platforms including an award-winning blog, the Think Tank thought leadership initiative, Insights research publications, and a News feed, distributed via website, email newsletter, and LinkedIn.

Lichfields' business model is that of a mature, privately-held professional services firm. Revenue derives from project-based consulting engagements delivered on a quote-based pricing model that is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is sales-led, direct enterprise and public sector engagement from the nine UK offices, supported by content marketing, event presence (including UKREiiF 2026), and the brand reputation of over 60 years in UK planning. The company is registered with the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (registration Z6193122), is privately held with no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed external PE/VC ownership, and operates with a senior leadership team of Senior Directors, Directors, and Planning Directors across its regional offices.

Name

Lichfields UK

Legal name

Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners Limited

Website

https://lichfields.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Lichfields is a UK planning and development consultancy founded in 1962, operating from nine UK offices and serving enterprise developers, housebuilders, and public sector clients across 17 sectors. It delivers professional planning services including applications, expert witness testimony, economics, environmental assessment, masterplanning, and digital planning reform advisory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Planning and Development Consultancy

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Estate Development & Feasibility Advisory (Highest-and-Best-Use, Entitlements Support) (BPAJANAC)

Keywords

• Planning consultancy services
• Development consulting
• Urban planning advisory
• Environmental impact assessment
• Expert witness planning

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Planning and Development Consulting Services: Professional consulting services including planning applications, consultation management, development consulting, economics analysis, environmental assessments, expert witness testimony, heritage services, masterplanning, and plan making for clients across multiple sectors

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lichfields is a UK planning and development consultancy delivering professional services including planning applications, stakeholder consultation, development economics and viability, expert witness testimony at public inquiries and examinations, Development Consent Orders support, environmental and heritage assessments, GIS and spatial analytics, strategic land promotion, masterplanning and urban design, and local plan making. Clients include residential developers, housebuilders, mixed-use and town centre developers, infrastructure and energy companies, universities, and local and regional public sector bodies. Services are organised across 17 industry sectors and are delivered by senior directors and planning directors from nine UK offices.

Product overview

Lichfields is a planning and development consultancy operating as a single unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The firm provides a comprehensive portfolio of professional services organized across 16 sectors (including Housing, Aviation, Education, Energy, Health, Hotels, Infrastructure, London, Mixed Use & Regeneration, Offices/Industry/Logistics, Public Sector, Retirement & Care, Sports & Stadia, Student Accommodation, Tourism & Leisure, Town Centre & Retail) and 20 service areas (including Planning, Consultation, Economics, Expert Witness, Development Consent Orders, Environmental Assessments, GIS & Spatial Analytics, Heritage, Land Promotion, Masterplanning, Natural Light, New Towns, Plan Making, and Research/Law/Policy). The core offering is supplemented by content platforms including the Think Tank (thought leadership initiative) and an award-winning Blog providing industry analysis. Services are delivered from nine UK offices (London, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Thames Valley) with over 60 years of industry experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Planning Service Comprehensive planning application management, policy guidance, and development consent support covering pre-application advice, submission, and appeals, for developers, housebuilders, and public sector clients across the UK.
• Expert Witness Service Specialist evidence preparation and presentation by recognised experts at public inquiries, hearings, examinations, and other litigation proceedings across all planning and development sectors.
• Development Consent Orders (DCO) Service Support for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects through the Development Consent Order regime, including application preparation, environmental impact assessment coordination, and examination management for energy, transport, and infrastructure promoters.
• Environmental Assessments Service Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment services for development projects, supporting planning applications and DCO submissions across sectors.
• Heritage Service Heritage impact assessments and heritage asset consultation for developments affecting historic buildings, conservation areas, and the historic environment, supporting planning applications and listed building consents.
• Land Promotion Service Strategic land promotion services helping landowners and promoters secure planning permissions and bring land forward for development, including option agreements, local plan promotion, and allocations.
• Masterplanning & Urban Design Service Urban design and masterplanning for large-scale developments, new settlements, and regeneration schemes, supporting planning applications and design code preparation.
• Plan Making Service Local plan preparation support including evidence base development, site allocations, policy drafting, and representation at plan examinations for local authorities and site promoters.
• Consultation Service Stakeholder and community consultation services to support planning applications, including public engagement events, community involvement statements, and consultation strategy.
• Economics Service Economic analysis and advisory including housing need assessments, viability studies, and market analysis supporting planning applications, local plan evidence, and development decisions.
• GIS & Spatial Analytics Service Geographic information system analysis and spatial data analytics to support planning and development assessment, including site search, constraints mapping, and policy visualisation.
• Digital Planning Reform Programme Advisory services on digital transformation of the UK planning system, helping clients navigate emerging digital planning tools, data standards, and process reforms.
• New Towns Service Advisory services for new settlement development including planning, design, and delivery strategy for garden towns, new communities, and large-scale urban extensions.
• Research, Law & Policy Service Policy research and legal analysis tracking government legislation, NPPF changes, and planning reform, providing commercial research and policy briefings for clients in the planning and development sector.
• Corporate Real Estate Service Advisory services for corporate real estate transactions including site acquisition, disposal, and portfolio optimisation for occupiers, investors, and landowners.
• Property Transaction Advisory Service Advisory services for property transactions including planning due diligence, valuation support, and transaction structuring for buyers, sellers, and funders.
• Natural Light Service Daylight and sunlight analysis to assess impacts on residential amenity and compliance with planning requirements for development proposals.
• Townscape & Visual Impact Service Visual impact assessment and townscape analysis for developments affecting scenic quality and visual amenity, supporting Environmental Impact Assessments and planning applications.
• Development Consulting Service Comprehensive development advisory services covering project conception, planning, and delivery for developers, landowners, and public sector clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully secured planning permission for Kirkby Town Centre regeneration with unanimous Planning Committee approval
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Jersey Construction CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Jersey Construction Council, an industry body representing Jersey's developers, engaged Lichfields to review the feasibility study underpinning the proposed Jersey Infrastructure Levy and prepare representations in response to government consultation. Lichfields' work was the most substantive response to the consultation and informed the political debate that led to the levy being rejected by the States Assembly.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Arup: Global engineering and planning consultancy with significant UK planning, environmental assessment, and DCO practices. Comparable on environmental impact assessments, masterplanning, and infrastructure planning work, but with a far broader engineering portfolio.
• WSP: International engineering professional services firm with UK planning, environmental, and infrastructure consenting capability. Directly comparable on Development Consent Orders, environmental assessments, and infrastructure planning, delivered at much larger scale.
• Knight Frank: International property consultancy with a UK planning and development team that competes with Lichfields on residential, mixed-use, and town centre planning mandates, alongside broader agency, valuation, and investment advisory services.
• JLL: Global professional services firm with a UK planning, development, and infrastructure advisory practice. Comparable in offering planning applications and development consultancy but bundled into wider real estate, capital markets, and facilities services.
• CBRE: Global real estate services firm with UK planning and development advisory capabilities, including DCO and infrastructure work. Overlaps with Lichfields on development consultancy but as part of a much larger diversified platform.
• Avison Young: Global real estate advisory with UK planning and development consultancy across residential, mixed-use, and regeneration sectors — overlaps with Lichfields on planning applications and development economics within a wider investment sales and management platform.
• Savills: Global real estate advisory with a substantial UK planning and development consultancy division offering planning applications, viability, and development advisory — directly comparable service lines to Lichfields but delivered as part of a much broader capital markets and property services platform.

Direct peers

• Carter Jonas: UK property consultancy with planning, development, and infrastructure advisory teams covering planning applications, masterplanning, environmental, and heritage work. Closely comparable as a UK multi-office specialist competitor to Lichfields.
• Bidwells: UK-focused property consultancy with planning, development, and rural land promotion practices. Directly comparable as a UK planning specialist serving housebuilders, landowners, and public sector clients with similar service mix to Lichfields.
• Montagu Evans: UK-focused planning, development, and real estate advisory firm offering planning applications, viability, development consulting, and expert witness services — the closest pure-play UK competitor to Lichfields with similar sector breadth and office network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/355334

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lichfields UK