PWA Planning
PWA Planning is a UK-based independent town planning consultancy providing planning applications, appeals, public consultation, and Environmental Impact Assessments for enterprise clients across housing, energy, commercial, sport and leisure, and transport sectors, with offices in Preston and Manchester.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersPreston, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What PWA Planning does
PWA Planning is a UK-based, privately-held town planning and development consultancy founded in 2013 by Chartered Town Planner Paul Walton and Stella Walton. The firm provides three core services — Planning Applications and Appeals, Public Consultation, and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) — augmented by strategic planning support for complex developments. It serves enterprise and mid-market clients across commercial and industrial, housing, energy (notably battery energy storage systems, solar farms, and anaerobic digestion), sport and leisure, and transport sectors, plus selected public-sector engagements. PWA's value proposition centres on senior-led project input, specialist public consultation expertise, in-house EIA capability (validated by the ISEP EIA Quality Mark accreditation), and a track record of securing permissions on contested sites including green belt and grey belt land.
PWA operates as a professional services firm with project-based pricing determined through initial consultations. Its go-to-market is sales-led, with direct senior engagement from feasibility through delivery for developers, landowners, and public-sector clients. The firm is part of The 1908 Group, alongside Acorus and Woolf Bond Planning, a ~60-person collective operating across seven locations in England and Wales and owned by the National Farmers Union (NFU). The 1908 Group structure provides PWA with cross-disciplinary capacity (RIBA, RICS, and RTPI certified professionals) and heritage credentials. PWA maintains two offices — Preston headquarters (Lockside Office Park) and a Manchester office launched in April 2025 (Castlefield) — and delivers work through direct client engagement supported by a partner network of barristers, architects, and technical specialists.
PWA Planning firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PWA Planning
- Legal name
- PWA Planning Ltd
- Website
- https://pwaplanning.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- PWA Planning is a UK-based independent town planning consultancy providing planning applications, appeals, public consultation, and Environmental Impact Assessments for enterprise clients across housing, energy, commercial, sport and leisure, and transport sectors, with offices in Preston and Manchester.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PWA Planning industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Town Planning Consultancy
- akta.pro primary industry
- Regional & Land Use Planning (BPAHAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD), Urban & Regional Planning (Land Use, Zoning, Master Planning) (BPAIANAD), Infrastructure Planning, Capital Programs & Project Delivery Offices (PMOs) (BPAIALAJ)
Keywords
Where PWA Planning is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Preston
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
PWA Planning business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Planning and Environmental Consultancy Services: Professional consultancy services providing planning applications, appeals, public consultation, and Environmental Impact Assessments for developers, landowners, and public sector clients across commercial, housing, energy, sport & leisure, and transport sectors. Revenue is generated through project-based consulting engagements with senior-led team input.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
PWA Planning product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PWA Planning is a professional, independent planning and development consultancy founded in 2013 that helps clients navigate the UK planning system. The firm delivers planning applications, appeals representation, public consultation, and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) for developers, landowners, energy companies, and public sector clients across commercial, housing, energy, sport & leisure, and transport sectors.
Product overview
PWA Planning is a professional, independent planning and development consultancy offering a unified suite of planning and environmental services. The core offering comprises Planning Applications & Appeals, Public Consultation, and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), supported by strategic planning advice for complex developments. These services are delivered as an integrated consultancy offering—specializing in strategic planning for larger development sites (commercial and residential) and energy projects—combining site appraisal, strategy, submission, negotiation, and appeal representation. The company holds the ISEP EIA Quality Mark and operates across commercial, housing, energy, sport & leisure, and transport sectors with offices in Preston and Manchester.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Planning Applications & Appeals Expert support for preparing, submitting, and managing planning applications across commercial, housing, energy, sport & leisure, and transport sectors, including site appraisal, strategy development, submission, negotiation, and appeal representation. Targeted at developers, landowners, and public sector clients seeking planning permission for development projects.
- Public Consultation Comprehensive support for public consultation where development proposals need wider engagement or have faced challenges, including community engagement events, information distribution, feedback capture, analysis, and strategic planning advice. Designed for developers and public sector clients needing to engage with communities and stakeholders.
- Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) Expert advice on all aspects of Environmental Impact Assessment including screening, scoping, preparing Environmental Statements, and EIA coordination and management. PWA holds the ISEP EIA Quality Mark for maintaining high quality in EIA work. Targeted at developers requiring environmental assessment for major projects.
- Strategic Planning Support Strategic planning advice for larger development sites and energy projects, helping clients deliver commercially viable schemes while navigating planning policy, stakeholder engagement, and environmental considerations. Aimed at developers and energy companies with complex or large-scale projects.
Quantifiable outcome
- Planning permission secured for Manley House wedding venue following appeal, overcoming multiple reasons for refusal
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use PWA Planning
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
PWA Planning technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
PWA Planning partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The 1908 GroupcorePWA Planning is part of The 1908 Group, which also includes Acorus and Woolf Bond Planning. Together they offer expertise in commercial, agricultural, and residential planning and design solutions. The group is owned by the NFU (National Farmers Union), with the 1908 name referencing the pivotal moment in British agricultural history when the NFU was formed.
- AcoruscorePart of The 1908 Group alongside PWA Planning and Woolf Bond Planning. Acorus provides planning and design consultancy services within the group structure.
- Woolf Bond PlanningcorePart of The 1908 Group alongside PWA Planning and Acorus. Woolf Bond Planning provides planning and design consultancy services within the group structure.
- National Farmers Union (NFU)coreThe 1908 Group (parent of PWA Planning, Acorus, and Woolf Bond Planning) is owned by the NFU. The 1908 name references 1908 when the NFU was formed, reflecting values of resilience, collaboration, and progress.
- Search4Local LtdminorWebsite hosting and maintenance provider for PWA Planning's website. Data held within the website is secured and maintained by Search4Local Ltd.
- Legal Partners and BarristersminorPWA works with legal partners and barristers where required for appeals and inquiries to present strong cases for client proposals.
- Kings ChambersminorBarristers providing support alongside PWA for complex planning cases such as the anaerobic digestion facility in Chorley.
- FWPminorLead architects for Trafford FC clubhouse redevelopment, preparing Design and Access Statement submitted with planning application.
- NFU EnergyminorPrepared sustainability assessment supporting the anaerobic digestion facility planning application, quantifying environmental benefits.
- Stephenson HallidayminorLandscape consultants providing technical support for the anaerobic digestion facility project in Chorley.
- Sunderland Peacock ArchitectsminorArchitectural design firm leading design work for SNUG Underfloor Heating brownfield redevelopment, preparing Design and Access Statement and 3D visuals.
- RTPI North West Young Planners CommitteeminorPWA's Jack Wilkes serves on the committee which supports early-career planners through events, professional development, and networking opportunities.
- Liverpool City Council Heritage OfficerminorAlice Nottingham, Heritage Officer at Liverpool City Council, led the heritage walking tour for RTPI North West Young Planners event organized by PWA.
- Donald Insall AssociatesminorHeritage consultants supporting the heritage pub walking tour event in Liverpool.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PWA Planning competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- AECOM Planning: AECOM is a global infrastructure consulting firm with a substantial UK planning and environmental assessment practice. It competes for major energy, transport, and residential planning mandates as part of a much broader services portfolio, contrasting with PWA's pure-play planning focus.
- Barton Willmore (now Stantec): Stantec acquired Barton Willmore in 2022, creating a global consulting giant with a strong UK town planning practice. It competes with PWA for large-scale residential, strategic land, and energy planning mandates but operates at vastly greater scale and with broader multi-disciplinary capability.
- RPS Group (Planning): RPS Group provides planning, environmental, and development consultancy services in the UK, with overlap on EIA, energy planning, and major development applications. It is part of a larger consulting group with broader geographic and service reach than PWA.
- Arup Planning: Arup operates a UK planning and environmental consulting practice within its global engineering firm, competing on large-scale infrastructure, energy, and master-planning mandates. It offers broader multi-disciplinary capability but is less of a pure-play planning specialist than PWA.
Direct peers
- Turley: Turley is one of the UK's largest dedicated planning consultancies with offices nationwide, offering planning applications, EIA, public consultation, and appeals across all of PWA's primary sectors. PWA's Manchester Director Paul Forshaw previously worked at Turley, evidencing direct talent and client overlap.
- Pegasus Group: Pegasus Group is a multi-disciplinary planning, design, and environmental consultancy with UK-wide offices covering planning applications, EIA, public consultation, and appeals — directly overlapping PWA's core services across residential, commercial, and energy sectors.
- DLP Planning: DLP Planning is a UK-wide independent town planning consultancy with similar service offerings (planning applications, EIA, appeals, strategic land promotion). Paul Forshaw joined PWA from DLP Planning, confirming direct talent overlap and head-to-head competition for developer and energy clients.
- Lichfields: Lichfields is a UK-wide planning, development economics, and design consultancy competing directly for housing, commercial, and energy planning mandates. It shares PWA's EIA, strategic land, and major development project focus, operating at national scale versus PWA's regional footprint.
- Savills (Planning Division): Savills operates a substantial UK planning consultancy covering residential, commercial, energy, and infrastructure planning. PWA's Senior Planner Ed James joined from Savills, evidencing direct competition for the same residential and commercial mandates across the same geographies.
- Woolf Bond Planning: Woolf Bond Planning is a sister firm within The 1908 Group, providing planning and design consultancy alongside PWA Planning and Acorus. It offers directly comparable town planning services and shares back-office and group-level resources with PWA, making it the closest internal peer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PWA Planning social profiles
Digital presencePWA Planning compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
PWA Planning financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PWA Planning leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
PWA Planning funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PWA Planning M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PWA Planning
What does PWA Planning do?
PWA Planning is a professional, independent planning and development consultancy founded in 2013 that helps clients navigate the UK planning system. The firm delivers planning applications, appeals representation, public consultation, and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) for developers, landowners, energy companies, and public sector clients across commercial, housing, energy, sport & leisure, and transport sectors.
Is PWA Planning a public or private company?
PWA Planning is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was PWA Planning founded?
PWA Planning was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is PWA Planning based?
PWA Planning is headquartered in Preston, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does PWA Planning make money?
One revenue line is on record: planning and Environmental Consultancy Services.
Who are PWA Planning's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are AECOM Planning, Barton Willmore (now Stantec), RPS Group (Planning) and Arup Planning. Direct peers are Turley, Pegasus Group, DLP Planning, Lichfields, Savills (Planning Division) and Woolf Bond Planning.
Does PWA Planning have an API?
No public API is recorded for PWA Planning.
What industry is PWA Planning in?
PWA Planning's product category is Town Planning Consultancy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAE, Regional & Land Use Planning, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAD, Urban Planning & Master Planning.