Completed Projects

Permitted Development
Projects

Real buildings. Real approvals. From a 68-unit former office block in Crawley to a former high street bank in Slough — these are the deals Andrew has taken from initial assessment through to prior approval granted.

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Class MA Mentoring Slough

High Street

Drawings / Application / Project Support

15 Residential Units
56 Days To Approval
£800k+ Asset Value Uplift
The Building A five-storey former bank with front and rear elevations on Slough High Street.
The Challenge Maximising the number of units with limited light on one side of the building, while retaining lift access for all upper floor units.
The Solution A clever flat layout retained lift access to upper floors. We simultaneously submitted PD applications for multiple layouts on the limited-light side and full planning for additional windows — giving a fallback option without adding wait time.
The Result The window application was approved, allowing the maximum number of units to be created.
Class MA Mentoring Crawley

Turnpike House

Drawings

68 Residential Units
56 Days To Approval
£5m+ Asset Value Uplift
The Building A former bank head office — six storeys arranged over basement, ground, and four upper floors with a total area of 39,344 sq ft, vacant upon possession.
The Challenge A building of this scale required careful integration of fire strategy from the outset, while using the existing window positions to maximise unit count.
The Solution Fire strategy experts were brought in from day one, ensuring the necessary AOV provision and compartmentalisation was designed in from the beginning rather than retro-fitted.
The Result Approval for 68 units within 56 days, with no sustainability, housing mix, or social housing contributions that would have been required under full planning.
Class MA Mentoring Portsmouth

Charlotte Street

Drawings / Application

2 Residential Units
54 Days To Approval
£40k Asset Value Uplift
The Building A two-storey retail property on Charlotte Street, close to Portsmouth city centre.
The Challenge A decline in demand for retail units in the area meant the property had little prospect of stable commercial income and a poor return if sold as-is.
The Solution Class MA applications were submitted and approved for conversion to 2 x 2-bed flats.
The Result With approved planning for residential conversion, the building's sale appeal and value increased immediately.
Class MA St Albans

Victoria Street

Drawings / Application

11 Residential Units
55 Days To Approval
£1m Asset Value Uplift
The Building A four-storey Class E building. The ground floor was let to a GP surgery and would remain so; the upper floors were vacant shared office space.
The Challenge A nightclub a few doors down with late-night opening on multiple nights, plus earlier council concerns over available parking for any new residential use.
The Solution Sound testing was carried out across the nightclub's opening hours and mitigation measures identified. These were incorporated into the application alongside a detailed parking plan showing allocation between the existing surgery and new residential units.
The Result Prior approval for 11 x 1-bed flats with allocated car parking shared with the existing surgery.
Class MA JV Northampton

Weedon Road

Drawings / Application / Project Support

3 Residential Units
56 Days To Approval
£85k Asset Value Uplift
The Building A former bank on Weedon Road, Northampton — a two-storey commercial building with a ground floor banking hall and upper floor office space, vacant upon possession.
The Challenge The upper floor provided limited floor area as it stood. To maximise the number and size of the residential units, additional space was needed — but this had to be pursued alongside the PD application rather than after it.
The Solution A Class MA prior approval application was submitted for the change of use from commercial to 3 residential flats. In parallel, a full planning application was submitted for a rear dormer extension to increase the usable floor area on the upper level — running both applications simultaneously to avoid adding time to the programme.
The Result Prior approval granted for 3 flats within 56 days. The dormer planning permission was also approved, adding floor area and increasing the overall value of the converted building.
Class MA Full Planning Mentoring Crawley

Gainsborough House

Drawings / Discharge of Conditions / Project Support

34 Residential Units
2 Phases
56 Days Phase 2 PD Approval
The Building A large former office building in Crawley, originally planned for conversion to 35 residential units across two phases — 24 units under Class MA in Phase 1 and 11 units in Phase 2. The project also included full planning for subdividing the ground floor commercial space into smaller units.
The Challenge Phase 1 was already in construction when it was discovered that a pre-commencement condition had not been discharged — rendering the permitted development consent invalid. Full planning had to be sought to regularise the works, resulting in one unit being lost and Phase 1 reducing to 23 units. The original drawings had been produced by hand by an architect who had since retired, with no digital files left to work from.
The Solution PWA was brought in to redraw the entire Phase 1 scheme from scratch in digital format — accurate, scalable drawings that could be updated as the project evolved. The full planning application was managed through a separate planning consultancy. PWA handled the subsequent discharge of planning conditions, co-ordinated the required reports, and managed the council contribution process. Phase 2 was then progressed under Class MA with PWA producing the drawings and managing the prior approval application.
The Result 34 units delivered across both phases. The full planning route for Phase 1 required additional 2-bed units to satisfy planning policy, reducing the total by one from the original 35. All conditions discharged; Phase 2 approved under permitted development within 56 days.
Mentoring Uxbridge

Stockley Park

Commercial Strategy / Asset Management

£4.2M Purchase Price
25% Occupied on Purchase
+25% Occupancy Gained
The Property A multi-tenanted office block at Stockley Park, Uxbridge — one of the UK's most established business parks — purchased at 25% occupancy with the majority of the building sitting empty and generating no income.
The Situation The building required refurbishment before further letting was viable. Beyond the physical works, a commercial asset of this scale carried significant compliance obligations — fire safety, health and safety, and building management responsibilities — that needed to be properly established.
The Approach Andrew worked with the client through the refurbishment strategy and re-letting process, advising on how to maximise the building's appeal to prospective tenants. Alongside this, PWA assisted in putting in place the compliance framework required for a commercial building of this size.
The Result A further 25% of the building was successfully let following refurbishment, taking occupancy to 50% and delivering a meaningful uplift in asset value through the improved income profile.
Mentoring Southampton

Vacant Warehouse

Commercial Strategy / Asset Management / Drawings

£500k Value Uplift
£50k Capital Allowances
Owner Occupied
The Property A vacant commercial warehouse in Southampton, purchased by the client to occupy themselves for their own business use.
The Situation The building was acquired as a going concern for the client's business, but its full potential had not been considered. There was significant latent value to unlock, along with tax efficiencies that had not been explored.
The Approach Andrew worked with the client to identify and claim embedded capital allowances within the property. PWA also prepared drawings to support a bonded warehousing use, extending what the building could do for the business.
The Result The property increased in value by £500,000 following the revised use strategy and business planning support. A further £50,000 was recovered through capital allowances on a tax-free basis.
Listed Building Consent Advertising Consent Mentoring Newbury

Northbrook Street, Newbury

Drawings / Heritage Statement / Consents

2 Consents Obtained
Listed Building
Heritage Statement Prepared
The Property A retail unit within a listed building on Newbury High Street, where the client had made changes to signage and advertising displays.
The Situation The works had been carried out without the necessary consents from the local planning authority, putting the client in breach of listed building regulations and at risk of enforcement action.
The Approach PWA prepared the required drawings and a heritage statement to support retrospective applications for both advertising consent and listed building consent, navigating the specific requirements that apply to alterations within a listed building.
The Result Both consents were granted, regularising the client's position and removing the threat of enforcement. Listed building and advertising consent work is not something we actively promote, but when a client needs help out of a difficult situation, we find a way to assist.
Mentoring

Co-op Funeral Care Centre

Business Mentoring & Asset Strategy

£420k Purchase Price
£770k Revalued To
£350k Value Uplift
The Property A commercial Co-operative funeral care centre purchased as a going concern, with an active commercial tenant in place.
The Situation The tenant's rent review had not been actioned and dilapidations had never been claimed. The asset was being held well below its true market value, with no additional borrowing available against it.
The Approach Andrew worked with the client to address the overdue rent review, pursue the outstanding dilapidations, and present a revised valuation case to the lender. Embedded capital allowances within the property were also identified and claimed, returning tax-free funds to the business.
The Result The property was revalued from £420,000 to £770,000, a £350,000 uplift, unlocking increased borrowing against a stronger asset. The capital allowances claim provided a further tax-free return on top of the value gain.

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