Gravis Planning

We are pleased to welcome Kara Johnston to our Belfast office as a Planning Consultant. Having studied at Queen’s University Belfast, Kara graduated with a BSc in Geography, partly spent studying at The University of Amsterdam, and an MSc in City Planning and Design. Kara has experience in both the public and private sectors in GB. Before joining Gravis, she worked for a global consultancy firm for over two years, acting as a Planning Officer for a range of local planning authorities. Kara has worked across a variety of sectors including housing, agriculture, commercial, renewable energy and telecommunications infrastructure. She has particular experience in planning policy regarding the Green Belt, Open Countryside, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Conservation Areas and Heritage Assets. On a day-to-day basis in Gravis, Kara prepares and manages planning applications and conducts research on behalf of clients for development proposals within the energy and commercial sectors. https://lnkd.in/e-Y6gMPK

On behalf of our client, EP Energy Developments Ltd., we are pleased to have secured planning permission from An Bord Pleanála (ABP) for a new Open Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) unit at a site north of the existing Tynagh Power Station in Derryfrench, County Galway. This latest successful power plant consent that we managed was granted directly by ABP as a Strategic Infrastructure Development. It follows a previous grant of planning permission at Tynagh for a 299MW OCGT development which was approved by ABP, following a third-party appeal against Galway County Council’s decision to grant. This type of flexible generation capacity is crucial for Ireland to ensure security of supply, while continuing the national transition towards greater use of renewable energy, providing a fast-acting reserve when insufficient renewable energy is available to meet demand. https://lnkd.in/eizW8EBE

RTPI ANNUAL DINNER SETS SAIL ON HMS CAROLINE Last night, the Royal Town Planning Institute Northern Ireland Annual Dinner took to the high seas—well, almost—aboard HMS Caroline, setting the perfect backdrop for an evening of reflection, ambition, and good craic in the planning profession. I was delighted to be the guest of Gemma Jobling of JPE Planning, a talented sailor herself, who fittingly captained an all-female table in honour of International Women’s Day. It was fantastic to celebrate the achievements of women in planning alongside such an inspiring group. RTPI CEO Dr Victoria Hills MRTPI FICE FRSA MCMI CMgr welcomed us, setting the tone for an evening that combined celebration with serious discussion on the future of planning. Outgoing Chair Chris Bryson of Gravis Planning delivered a brilliantly nautical-themed farewell speech, reminding us that while the planning system may feel “all at sea” with “choppy waters and strong headwinds,” there’s no need to abandon ship just yet. With a clear course set for reform, and with “all hands on deck,” smoother sailing can be on the horizon. His message was clear: through pride, professionalism, and partnership, we can navigate the challenges ahead. One of the key highlights of the evening was RTPI Northern Ireland’s commitment to strengthening collaboration, particularly through its participation in the Construction Professionals' Council of Northern Ireland. Chris emphasised the importance of having a representative of the RTPI “at the table” ensuring that other professionals obtain a greater appreciation of what planning can and can’t do and how it can have a positive impact upon development. Chris then passed the “gold bling” to incoming Chair Emma Aldridge one of The Planner RTPI ‘s 2024 Women of Influence and a former Northern Ireland Young Planner of the Year. Emma reflected on her decade in planning and emphasised that this is a pivotal moment for reform. With the right resourcing and initiatives, such as her proposal to engage GCSE students in thinking about the spaces around them, the profession can build a modern planning system that works for all. She also highlighted the RTPI’s mentorship scheme, calling for volunteers to help shape the next generation of planners. We also heard from Chair of Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Planning Committee, Councillor Jeannie Archibald-Brown, who reinforced the importance of improving the planning system to provide certainty and confidence. Stronger community engagement, she stressed, is key to delivering good development that benefits everyone. A huge thanks to RTPI Northern Ireland for hosting such a fantastic evening which rounded off a nautical themed week for me .

Over the last two years, the Department for the Economy and the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland, have been investigating shallow and deep geothermal potential at the Stormont Estate, Belfast and at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise, Greenmount Campus near Antrim as part of a research demonstrator project known as GeoEnergy NI. As Principal Contractor and Lead Technical Specialist, Tetra Tech are proud to have lead a team of global experts to deliver what is a milestone project of the Executive’s Energy Strategy Action Plan and forms part of the pathway to deliver net zero carbon and affordable energy by 2050. A massive congratulations to the Department for the Economy NI for delivering this successful project and to all the staff at the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI) who’s vision we have had the pleasure of bringing to reality. I would like to express my personal thanks to all our amazing delivery partners who have helped make the project a success. Your unwavering passion and commitment to raising public awareness of geothermal and helping us grow the geothermal sector is something you should all be very proud of. In no particular order, special thanks to: Morrow Communications, Geopartner Geofizyka LLC, SLB, Studio Liddell, Priority Drilling Ltd, Geo Drilling Solutions, Causeway Geotech Ltd, Marc Robinson, Gravis Planning, DPS, Hex Energy Ltd, John Morris, Clive Kilpatrick at Trueline Surveys, 3D Prints NI, David Banks, Derek Reay, our Geo-Ambassadors, and Multi-physics expert panel, consisting of Helen Doran, Duygu Kiyan, John Walsh, Rob Hardy, Michal Nemcok. #geothermal #TetraTech #decarboniseheat Department for the Economy NI, Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI)

We are delighted to be supporting IoD Northern Ireland in delivering a series of workshops for their Infrastructure and Investment Forum, in partnership with Danske Bank UK, KPMG Ireland, and SONI - System Operator for Northern Ireland. This week, the first in a series of workshops took place, focussing on the issue of Energy & Grid and featuring some of the leading energy experts in Northern Ireland including Gerard Carlin from SONI, Peter McClenaghan from NIE Networks, Russell Smyth from KPMG Ireland and Steven Agnew from Renewable NI. Further workshops will folow in the coming months, dealing with themes which are vital for infrastructure development in Northern Ireland. Gravis is supporting the team at IoD to facilitate these events, with the ultimate aim of producing tangible recommendations to influence policy makers so that they can improve the environment for businesses throughout NI.

At the Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor (DBEC) Summit this morning hearing about how better collaboration will help grow a stronger economy throughout the sub-region, north and south.

Last week, our Director of Planning, Chris Bryson, was invited to sit on an expert panel at the NIFHA - Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations Development & Asset Management Conference, to discuss the value of ‘Secured by Design’. Secured by Design is an initiative which seeks to ensure that safety is (literally) built into new homes, deterring anti-social behaviour, improving quality of life for residents and promoting cohesion within these communities. In his contributions to the panel discussion, Chris shed light on how the Secured by Design process could have implications for the design development and planning processes, and how the Secured by Design process could be improved to better integrate with both. Overall, the Development & Asset Management Conference was a fantastic event which brought together dozens of professionals in the social/affordable housing sector to exchange ideas and continue making progress in delivering safe, sustainable, affordable and high-quality homes for people in Northern Ireland. https://lnkd.in/eXxzkbGi

We are delighted to have secured planning permission on behalf of SSE Thermal for its transformative ‘Tarbert Next Generation Power Station’ project – a 350MW Open Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) plant fuelled by Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), a sustainable biofuel which is produced by transforming waste oils into a non-fossil-based oil alternative to diesel, offering a lower-carbon option for unabated power generation. An OCGT plant was selected for the proposed development as it is able to respond rapidly to changes in electricity demand by starting up quickly and achieving full output within a short period of time, providing essential support to the electricity supply system at times of peak demand and at when other generation sources are not sufficient to meet demand. Gravis Planning managed the Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID) planning application for this major development, a complex and multifaceted submission including a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) to demonstrate that the proposed development would not have a negative impact on the environment, including the ecology and biodiversity of the surrounding Shannon Estuary. In addition to managing the planning process, Gravis supported SSE Thermal and 3DW in designing an immersive virtual consultation room. This gave the project’s public consultation a much greater online presence and led to increased engagement. These virtual offerings have become increasingly prevalent as part of consultation on major new projects such as this; they elevate the standard of stakeholder engagement and make gathering feedback a more accessible process. As well as reaching those who may not be able to attend in-person consultation events because of other commitments, virtual consultations also accommodate those who are physically unable to travel to or access their local community centre or town hall. This allows all stakeholder groups to learn about the project, provide feedback and help to shape the proposals. We are currently working with SSE, Kerry County Council and the appointed contractors to ensure an efficient condition discharge process and are looking forward to seeing the delivery of this project in the coming months and years, as SSE continues to lead in the decarbonisation of energy generation in Ireland. https://lnkd.in/eeg64fXa

We are still welcoming applications for our Dublin office at these levels - further details are below.

We are pleased to be part of the proposed transformation of Portstewart Town Hall, which will create a multi-purpose events space and a self-catering hostel accommodation, aimed at attracting tourists, schools and local organisations. The proposal will retain the architectural heritage of the 1930s Modernist structure, including its wrought iron balcony and red-brick façade, whilst introducing modern aspects such as a new extension designed to complement the aesthetic of the main building, new entrances and exits to ensure that all members of the community can access the facility, cycle parking provision, and energy-efficient building materials to maximise the Town Hall's sustainability. With plans now submitted to Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, we hope to see this proposed development consented in the near future. https://lnkd.in/eP-fADmV