O’Callaghan Planning started out in 2014 with the aims of helping prospective developers negotiate the planning process and securing planning permissions faster. Since then, with the addition of our in-house design team, we now offer a bespoke design service and frequently oversee projects from their conception to completion on site.
Our experience enables us to robustly scrutinise proposals from the outset and give our clients advice and options which we believe have realistic probability of success in the planning system. We are proud of our very high success rate on the wide range of planning applications that we submit, and we have also successfully navigated many of our clients through the arduous enforcement process to regularise alleged breaches of planning control.
The requirements of the planning process are becoming increasingly complex and challenging, with new guidelines, policies, legislation and directives frequently being updated.
Our experienced team is on hand to offer an innovative and professional approach as we endeavour to meet our clients’ needs.
Our clients are central to each and every project and we are proud to represent and assist in fulfilling their aspirations.
What makes us different
We can work alongside architects and agents on live or prospective planning applications, providing specialist planning advice only. We also have our own in-house design team that can prepare bespoke designs for a wide variety of development types, so we can submit detailed design drawings ourselves. We can manage projects through to practical completion and handover and we are able to certify projects for mortgage / lender purposes.
The interaction of planning and design team members, from the outset and within the one organisation, helps minimise the chances of planning problems arising later in the process. While the designers have a clear client brief, our planners are on hand to provide specialist input to ensure that proposals have a strong likelihood of securing planning approval.
Our planners take the lead in the submission of planning applications, which usually entails the submission of comprehensive supporting information. The aim is to ‘front – load’ planning applications, ensuring that planning authorities have all necessary information when they come to assess a proposal. This helps to avoid requests for further particulars later in the process.
We work alongside some of the best environmental consultants and legal experts in their field, and are able to call upon them for independent reports that are increasingly required to accompany planning applications.
Meet the team
Colin O'Callaghan
Director
Colin graduated from Queens University Belfast with an honours degree and a postgraduate diploma in Town and Country Planning in 2001 and 2002 respectively. He then went on to gain significant experience in public sector planning. He was previously employed as a planning officer in the Department of the Environment, working as a local authority planning officer in Belfast and Newry and Mourne, where he amassed considerable experience in handling major and controversial planning applications, the development plan process and planning appeals. Colin started this consultancy on his own in 2014 and is now surrounded by a very talented team who work diligently and collaboratively on a wide variety of planning and development projects.
Anthony Grimes
Senior Architectural Technician
Caoimhe O'Callaghan
Senior Planner
Caoimhe joined the team in 2020. She began working in planning in 2006 in DOE Planning Service and was part of the team who brought the Banbridge, Newry and Mourne Area Plan 2015 to adoption stage before moving to Development Management in Newry and Mourne where she gathered experience in the processing of a wide variety of planning applications. In 2015 she moved to Development Management within Mid-Ulster District Council before joining ourselves. Caoimhe completed her degree and then postgraduate in Planning at Queen’s University Belfast and is a chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. Her particular interests include planning appeals, unauthorised development and area plan matters.
Michael Clarke
Planner
Michael graduated from Ulster University with honours and postgraduate qualifications in Planning and Development and joined our team in 2019. Since joining this practice, he has become a Chartered Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute and broadened his knowledge in this field by working on a wide variety of planning matters. Michael prepares and submits professional planning applications for both small and large-scale proposals ranging from certificate of lawfulness applications to major commercial and industrial developments.
Lauren Forte
Architecture Assistant
Lauren holds a BSc in Architecture from Queen’s University Belfast (2022–2025).
She contributed to the Future Ready Award project as a research assistant in climate-responsive design and has collaborated with community groups on adaptive reuse and urban regeneration strategies through detailed site analysis.
Lauren developed a climate-responsive urban proposal for The Place Hack and, through the Lissan House course, gained practical experience in building conservation and historic building planning alongside industry professionals.
Now beginning her Part 1 Architecture Assistant experience, she is committed to continuous learning and innovation, combining technical expertise with a passion for sustainable and community-focused architecture.
Join us
We are always interested in expanding our team if talented people come along. If you feel you can bring something to our team, we would love to hear from you – whether you have qualifications in planning or architecture.