Experience

Public Affairs

Our Public Affairs team are passionate, well connected and drawn from all backgrounds and parties. With years of global, national and local experience from inside governments to specialist advisors we have a breadth and depth of knowledge we are proud of. Utilising our experience with individuals, companies, charities, NGOs and overseas governments we are well placed to provide insightful public affairs support and devise creative and powerful campaigns.

Never has it been more important than to understand and influence the political arena in which your business operates. Whether that is nationally, regionally or globally we can put you where you want to be, leverage opportunities and give power to your voice.

Housebuilding

Community consultation is no longer an optional part of the planning system. Through the adoption of Statements of Community Involvement (introduced as part of the Local Development Framework process) developer-led pre-application consultation has become a must-have.  Not only that, but councils require evidence that community consultation has been carried out appropriately and to a satisfactory level.

Remarkable has years of experience in this field, delivering high quality public consultation that can bring benefits to both developers and the local community by introducing a more transparent planning system. We know that a recommendation to approve from a planning officer is no longer enough to ensure a positive decision at planning committee; politicians and the communities they represent have to be brought along too. 

Energy and Environment

Our clients range from energy providers, wind farms and energy from waste projects to anaerobic digesters and combined heat and power plants, incinerators and solar power.

These specialist areas have their own communication challenges and issues, this is where we are experts and have a strong track record. We are very positive about this area and with a clear community and political spotlight firmly focused on the environment and our increasing energy demands it is very often a contentious arena to work within.

Emotions can run high and legislation is fledgling and confusing. We are here to help you navigate this complex and difficult arena.

Retail and Leisure

Remarkable works nationally for a number of major retailers, working hard to find and mobilise supporters as part of their store expansion programmes. Retail planning applications are an important first step of any company’s introduction to the local community – the impression created at this stage has lasting impact.

We work with our in-house team of designers to create professional material that reflects our client’s identity, working on the strengths of their application and tackling misconceptions from the outset.

Regeneration

• ­Wider community engagement
• ­Regional government involvement
• ­Planning days and significant events
• ­An on-going  presence in the local community

Remarkable has the local and national reach to ensure that these regeneration schemes involve the communities they aim to help whilst balancing the wider requirements of the development to bring redundant land back to good use.

Telecommunications

Within the telecommunications sector we have a wealth of experience in everything from regulation, political lobbying, roll out, acquisition and planning, issues and crisis management, specialist training, stakeholder management, consultation and engagement and scientific and medical communication.

With senior Remarkable team members who have worked both within the industry and as external consultants we are extremely well placed to fully understand the industry and the challenges it faces in the UK, Europe and further afield.

This specialist market requires insight, a solid understanding of the industry and the fine balance that working in a highly regulated, yet fiercely competitive arena entails.

Waste

Remarkable has the range of skills required to professionally and efficiently execute the public consultation and wider communications strategy required to reach and engage with the key stakeholders: We have a deep current knowledge of, and enthusiasm for, the waste and resource management sector with team involvement in EfW, renewable policy and the environment sector for over 14 years.

We have cultivated an extensive network of regional and national stakeholders, from local government, associations, academia, government and parliament.

Our knowledge of issues, solutions and practical methods of communications has been tested and used to ensure stakeholder understanding over many years. We can offer unrivalled professionalism as an award-winning fully integrated team, winning awards within the sector.

The public consultation and community engagement teams’ skills and experience include research, strategic advice, community relations, political relations, media relations, stakeholder contact management and negotiation, exhibition organisation and management, public affairs and political positioning.

Case Studies

Barrat Homes

The prospect of a winning design in North Prospect

Background:

Barratt Homes is a leading housebuilder, with developments spread across the UK. The company enlisted Remarkable's expertise to offer communications support for the regeneration of a run-down council estate in North Prospect.

Approach:

The project had added complexity given the high rates of deprivation within the estate. Remarkable held a number of exhibitions and distributed community newsletters outlining the benefits of the redevelopment, while Barratt Homes staff attended a weekly design forum, where residents could actively contribute their ideas to the design process. Additionally, Remarkable sought engagement for Barratt Homes with community leaders, including head teachers at local schools, police officers and councillors, encouraging them to lead the community into developing a vision for the future.

Results:

Remarkable's proactive and innovative approach in engaging with the local community enabled resident and councillor concerns to be addressed early in the planning process, with high community participation levels in the formulation of the new designs. Phase one of the redevelopment was approved unanimously in February 2011 and, following a similar engagement process, phase two was submitted to council mid 2011.

Linden Homes

Linden Homes’ innovative approach to sustainability

Background:

Linden Homes is an award-winning national homebuilder, formed when its parent company, Galliford Try Group, merged its four housebuilding divisions. In mid 2011, Linden Homes developed an innovative idea which would deliver the Government’s stringent energy and water efficiency targets for residential properties, but at a fraction of the costand enlisted Remarkable to help progress the policy idea.

Approach:

Remarkable established initial meetings with MPs from each of the major political parties to gauge their support for the idea, before formally meeting with the relevant Minister to table the plan. Following these meetings, Linden Homes was encouraged to meet with officials to subject the idea to further investigation. Remarkable is also canvassing broader industry support for the plan to demonstrate a united and proactive approach in progressing the plan with Government.

Results:

As well as tabling the idea for serious policy consideration with officials, Remarkable has raised the industry and political profile of Linden Homes and refreshed its brand as an innovative, proactive company. Remarkable is committed to continuing to work with Linden Homes on the project – keep up-to-date with its progress by visiting the Engagement Site

McCarthy & Stone

McCarthy & Stone Exmouth

Background:

McCarthy & Stone is the UK's leading builder of retirement apartments. In early 2011, the company sought Remarkable for communications support on its proposed redevelopment of former college buildings, which fell within a conservation area.

Approach:

Remarkable built relationships with initially opposed residents, third party groups and the local civic society to directly address their concerns. Remarkable also developed an information website, liaised with local press and distributed tailored newsletters inviting the community to a public exhibition where McCarthy & Stone's plans for the site were detailed.

Supporter motivations leading up to the planning committee demonstrated the level of community support. This included third party groups writing letters of support and residents speaking positively at the committee and directly with councillors. Councillors were provided with a detailed brief outlining the proposal's benefits and local support while tackling planning objections.

Results:

Proactively addressing resident and councillor concerns enabled Remarkable to turn initial opposition into widespread support for the development, including from the resident action groups involved. Close liaison with the town council led to the retraction of the previous letter of objection, with councillors overturning the planning officer's recommendation for refusal, voting unanimously in favour of the development.