Chelgate Planning Newsletter

Chelgate Profile: James Darley

James Darley approaches client assignments by recognising their business objectives and adding value through a strategic evaluation of needs and solutions.  He brings a blend of mature experience and imaginative thought to challenges, coupled with good organisation and attention to detail, and an understanding of what will work and how issues will play. 

In 20 years with Chelgate, James has made a significant contribution to the firm's considerable growth particularly in deploying his skills in development planning and community engagement, environmental and business-to-business issues. 

He has led account teams for major client programmes including J Sainsbury Developments, the London Development Agency and several housebuilders, commercial property developers, and leisure and farm diversification enterprises, also managing communications for Southwark Council’s appointment of a £1.5 bn development partner for the 170 acre Elephant & Castle regeneration, and helping to achieve permission for a fifth Center Parcs village after the failure of a planning appeal. 

For more than three decades he has advised housebuilders on the value of engaging constructively with local communities, to harness latent support, build relationships and enhance reputation for the long game.  With the coming of legislation to make community consultation a planning requirement, and with a new emphasis on “localism”, these instincts and operating methods have taken on a new relevance. 

Before joining Chelgate, and following early experience as a newspaperman, James spent some 20 years in PR consultancy, much of it as an independent adviser engaged for specialist skills by larger agencies and by clients.