About
Jamie Whittall - Geospatial Design
I’m a transport planning and GIS consultant based in Telford, providing GIS mapping and transport planning services for UK planning applications. I work across England, Scotland and Wales on residential, commercial, industrial and infrastructure projects.
Planning applications are all about risk.Time and money are put on the line when an application goes live and the outcome ultimately sits with the planning officer or committee, applying judgement to a complex decision. The key is understanding how that judgement is likely to be applied and shaping the scheme accordingly.
My role is to manage that risk by identifying highways and spatial constraints early, before time and money are committed to the wrong approach. Often, the best way to do that is with a review at the outset, before a project becomes fixed.
Some schemes can follow established, well-tested approaches. Others need a more tailored argument to be acceptable. A key part of my role is recognising which is which and responding accordingly.
I have worked across all stages of the planning process, from early feasibility through to the discharge of conditions. That means I am not just looking at the issue in front of me, but how my decisions can affect the deliverability of the application.
Reducing Risk, Improving Outcomes
My focus is on resolving problems before they escalate, safeguarding the scheme as it moves through planning, and avoiding abortive work that adds cost without improving the outcome. This approach keeps projects moving forward with clear, practical and proportionate input at each stage.
Early Risk Identification
Identify highways and spatial risks early, allowing informed decisions to be made before design work is fixed or submitted.
Layout & Access Input
Shape site layouts and access arrangements to ensure proposals remain practical, compliant and suitable for planning submission.
Planning Constraints
Identify constraints that may affect development, ensuring proposals align with planning requirements and authority expectations.
Ongoing Support
Respond to queries throughout the planning process, and help resolve issues to support progress toward a positive outcome.
Experience & Approach
My background is in transport planning, supporting a wide range of planning applications. At Axis, I worked on transport reports and access strategies, while also developing GIS tools and workflows to support planning projects, including accessibility mapping, constraint analysis and visibility modelling.
That combination of transport planning and geospatial analysis underpins how I approach projects today, allowing me to move between strategy, technical input and design support depending on what is needed.
Through Geospatial Design, I now work directly with planning consultancies, developers and project teams, providing early-stage advice and ongoing support that helps schemes progress through planning.
I can slot into a project in different ways depending on what is needed. Sometimes that means working closely with a wider team, and in other cases it means operating independently on a clearly defined brief.
Many clients use me as an extension of their team for transport planning and GIS. This can include refining workflows, introducing GIS capability, or providing input where specialist support is needed.
I aim to be straightforward to work with. That means understanding the brief quickly, communicating clearly and responding when projects move quickly, without needing constant direction.
Discuss Your Planning Project
Clients tend to value my clear advice, reliability, and input that helps give projects the best possible chance of planning approval. If you’ve got a site or project you’d like a view on, I’m always happy to take a look.