Calibro go much further than just the basic service – it’s not just drawing a plan, they are committed to resolving something for you
DPP Planning
Chief Executive Officer
SECTORS
Retail
What this sector is trying to do
Retail development sits within a planning policy framework that has been reshaped by the decline of traditional town centre trade and the growth of online retail. The sequential test and retail impact assessment remain the primary tools for out-of-centre schemes, but the evidence base is more contested than it was a decade ago. For town centre schemes, the planning argument has shifted: it is less about justifying a new retail use and more about demonstrating that the format, footprint and access strategy will add to the centre rather than fragment it.
The recurring constraints
Trip generation is usually the most contested element. The parking standards and mode split assumptions applied to retail schemes were calibrated on travel behaviour that has changed materially. The growth of click-and-collect, the decline of linked trips, the expectation of active travel infrastructure that retail rarely generated in the past: the gap between the standard assumptions and observed site conditions is where planning arguments are typically won or lost. The transport officer who applies a 2005 trip rate to a 2026 scheme has applied the wrong evidence. Demonstrating that clearly is the work.
Where accumulated knowledge matters
Retail transport arguments inform the leisure sector directly: evening and weekend peak demand characterisation, the distinction between on-site and off-site parking demand, the relationship between footfall and trip generation. The pedestrian environment work developed across retail and health and wellbeing schemes — legibility, dwell, accessible design — informs how Calibro approaches active travel requirements for any scheme type where the quality of the walking environment is a planning condition rather than a design aspiration.
How we are applying our thinking
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Where we work
We work across residential, commercial, health, education, infrastructure, renewables, retail and leisure, and wherever work takes us beyond that list. Every project builds on an established body of knowledge: how to use the planning system to a client’s advantage, what creates places that hold their value, and where early decisions protect against risk and leave a legacy that matters beyond completion.
Those learnings cross every sector boundary. What we take from a residential scheme shapes how we approach a commercial one. What we learn in one planning authority informs how we navigate the next. That accumulated intelligence is what you’re drawing on, whatever the brief.
The sector shifts. The thinking doesn’t.
Residential
We’re often involved early in projects, supporting site-finding activities, and moving on to the masterplan process. Schemes range from a few dwellings with simple access and layout considerations, through to large, mixed use schemes requiring modelling of the wider network and strategic infrastructure improvements.
Renewables
We support development for wind, solar and energy-from-waste projects throughout the UK. This includes large scale wind farms to expansive solar schemes in areas of risk of flooding. As a corporate IEMA partner, we understand the specific legal requirements of environmental impact assessment.
Commercial & Industrial
Whether it’s transport planning or highway design, flood risk or drainage strategies, we understand the nuances of industrial and commercial development. We can take a lead role in optimising the masterplan process, support planning with robust evidence, and provide accurate, cost-effective construction designs.
Retail
We’re a trusted partner for a number of regional and national developers, bringing extensive knowledge of commercial development. We enable a scheme to be commercially optimised, understanding the importance of maximising passing trade; while also minimising the severity of associated traffic effects.
Health & Wellbeing
Our team of experts has extensive experience of advising on all types of health and wellbeing facilities. We provide transport planning, highway, flood risk and drainage input across a range of developments, including primary and secondary schools, GP surgeries, pharmacies and dental practices.
Leisure
Every leisure development is different – whether it’s a new campsite, gym or stadium. The journey through the planning system is just the start. We ensure that fundamental engineering principles are ingrained in our solutions, to expedite the design and approval stages, and get contractors on site sooner.
