Planning expertise (ATLAS)
The Advisory Team for Large Applications (ATLAS) provides a specialist advisory service nationwide. An experienced and dedicated team, ATLAS works with local authorities, the private sector and other stakeholders to help them evolve and take forward large and complex proposals through the planning system.
ATLAS is made up of staff with extensive planning and development experience, including specialists in highway engineering, environmental sustainability, urban design and sustainable communities. The team offers local planning authorities and their partners advice on a variety of large scale housing and regeneration issues and aims to build knowledge and capacity, improve relationships and enable local partners to deliver on their ambitions.
ATLAS responds to the needs of individual projects and undertakes a wide range of bespoke tasks at all stages of the planning process, from initial visioning and scoping of proposals through to planning application preparation, determination and implementation. The team works on all types of development including new settlements, urban extensions and estate renewal.
While project delivery is the main focus of the team, it also has an important role in capturing and disseminating its learning and using this knowledge to assist the overall development of the planning system. Of particular note, ATLAS has developed a web-based tool – to help steer partners through the complex planning issues involved in large scale proposals. This online resource has evolved from practical project experience and research, and provides advice about important topic areas, discussion forums and case studies, as well as a detailed, step-by-step guide to the town planning process. ATLAS also offers a dedicated service to help prepare and implement Planning Performance Agreements.
To date, the team has advised on more than 70 separate projects involving almost 200,000 residential units, more than 40,000 of which have achieved some form of planning approval with ATLAS support. The team is separately funded, has a governance arrangement with Communities and Local Government and is delivered through the HCA.
For more information please read the information sheet.
- The ATLAS Guide: Planning for Large Scale Development
- ATLAS Information Leaflet
- ATLAS PPA Inception Service
Last updated: 22 June 2010