The Planning Consultant's Perspective on Mesh and Paragraph 84

Mesh has worked with Hughes Planning for more than a decade and recently interviewed Rob Hughes, a Paragraph 84 specialist planning consultant. He shared his perspective on why he works with Mesh, the value our engineers bring to his clients’ schemes and the drivers for success on complex planning projects. 

“I have been involved in many Paragraph 84 projects across 22 local authority areas to date, and have worked with Mesh for over a decade. Their engineers bring a level of expertise and a realistic approach that genuinely drives, strengthens and informs a complex planning proposal from inception.

A significant factor in the success of a project is assembling the right team at the earliest stage. The Paragraph 84 planning framework demands the very highest standards – not just in architecture, but in sustainability, environmental performance and how a building sits within and enhances its landscape. 

Mesh feeds directly into the design process rather than being brought in at a later stage to ‘fix’ problems that could otherwise have been avoided. 

Their deep understanding of sustainable construction, energy performance, regulations and Passivhaus-level thinking helps to shape the design and architecture from the initial concept stage. 

Mesh’s engineers are experts in their field and work as a genuine partner with the design team on each project, helping to deliver and inform schemes that are not only beautiful, but are genuinely integrated into their setting, environmentally responsible and exceed expectations for sustainability. 

That level of joined-up thinking is critical when you are asking a local authority to support a proposal for an exceptional home in the countryside.

I regularly recommend Mesh to our clients and their early involvement consistently helps projects to reach the highest standards of design and sustainability, giving applications the strongest possible chance of success.”