Richard Stevens, Planning Surveyor for the Wiltshire Area

I had twice been refused planning permission, and listed building consent, to convert a decrepit workshop/garage to a domestic dwelling. Richard agreed to look into this for me and dismissed two of the three reasons given for refusal as incorrect. He then set about addressing the third reason and, after a few minor alterations, a meeting with the planning officer, and a new application, I was granted planning permission without further problems.

My problems did not end with the permission granted, as I now needed a Party Wall Award. After negotiations, Richard obtained agreement with my neighbour to the Award and to use a strip of land 2m wide on their side whilst rebuilding took place. Without Richard's help my site would still be a tumbledown garage/workshop.

Over a period of time Richard has been my 'go-to' surveyor for my mixed property portfolio, ranging from valuations for selling several acres for a large infrastructure project to tidying up a garden boundary to my financial advantage.

Richard uses his many years of wide experience in property matters, reinforced by knowledge of the relevant acts and legal cases where appropriate. After listening carefully to him over the years, he has taught me many invaluable lessons which have served me well.

We enlisted Richard's help in securing planning permission for a large double-storey extension to our house after preliminary contact suggested the council would not approve our plans. He helped amend the proposal in such a way that the plans increased the original floor area by 30% whilst at the same time alleviating some of the planning concerns.

The comprehensive Design & Access Statement that Richard prepared challenged the council's position on a number of key points whilst highlighting the merits of our plans. Richard was instrumental in us securing permission to build the home we had longed for.

We don't know what we would have done without Richard! Despite a very complicated situation, he enabled us to establish a right of way that had been in dispute for over ten years. He has also helped us to establish residential use in an annexe building on our property which the Council had said was just an outbuilding. He has kept us informed regularly with updates and has dealt with everything with such expertise and efficiency.

We were quite overwhelmed with the situation until Richard stepped in to help. He was so thorough with his research and left no stone unturned. We were very grateful for the time he spent with us and on the property, ensuring that he understood every intricacy and complication that might arise. We are so impressed with his work and so grateful for everything he has done for us.

When we bought our house we were told that the original garden had been enlarged by a previous owner who had bought a substantial area of land behind the property, and that this additional land was part of our garden. When we started on improving the bare land (0.18 ha) at the back into a garden with an orchard, large vegetable plot and area for children's swings and slides, we were threatened with an Enforcement Notice.

We asked Richard to advise us and, after he had researched the history of the land, he negotiated with the council and prepared a Planning Statement. Following a subsequent planning application, not only ourselves but our neighbours were all granted planning consent for residential use of what turned out to have been officially agricultural land.

We were immensely relieved when Richard took over the burden of the threatened Enforcement Notice, and were delighted not only that he obtained consent for us but for four neighbours as well.

I have a lot for which to thank Richard; if it wasn't for him I really don't know where my parent would be living or who would be looking after her. It was decided that we would build an extension to accommodate her moving in with us. In previous years the neighbour had put up a dividing fence on our land, so they were occupying a three-foot-wide strip of our land. We have lived in our house for over 15 years and had always had a good understanding with the neighbour that, when anything happened, we would be able to move the boundary line back to where it was stated on the deeds and have what was rightly ours. Unfortunately, this verbal agreement did not stand up when the neighbour's property was inherited.

Richard worked very hard to show where, over the years, our property was encroached upon. He persuaded the neighbours to agree to the fence being moved to the right place, to sign a Boundary Agreement for the Land Registry and a Party Wall Agreement so that the building could go ahead. We now have the extension finished and one happy parent. Our situation stretched many tempers, but Richard always stayed calm and professional and continued working to get the valued result that we required.

Thank you, Richard, for all your help.

Richard has given us huge help in addressing the prospect of a large housing development in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which had been proposed by our local Council in order to meet the 5-year housing target for our Emerging Local Plan. Following this, a planning application was made for the site, which is on the edge of our small Cotswolds town. We were very concerned about the damage this inappropriate development would cause.

Richard studied the many documents involved and submitted written objections to both the Local Plan and the planning application, based on the many matters he uncovered where the proposals did not match the national (NPPF) or Local Plan requirements. He also appeared on our behalf at the Public Enquiry into the Emerging Local Plan. We are very grateful to Richard for his careful consideration of the case and positive approach to looking after our interests; he has throughout been most painstaking and diligent, and we would heartily recommend his services.

When I wanted to extend the separate annexe building in my garden where my mother lives, the planners refused this in two pre-application submissions. Richard took on the problem and worked on a re-design which provided a better internal arrangement together with potential for a second bedroom for a carer in the future, should that be required.

Upon refusal of the application an appeal was submitted, using both the Design & Access Statement from the original (which had been worded with an eye on a potential appeal) and an Appeal Statement highlighting the changed planning policies under the new Local Plan which came into force before the Inspector's decision — which was to allow the appeal.

At each stage Richard discussed the next steps to be taken so that I always knew what was happening and why.

For a number of years Richard has acted for my property company. This has involved bringing a professional approach to advice on rating, rent reviews, planning and valuations for both commercial and residential properties.

Richard really does his homework and fights to protect my interests whatever the issue.