A strong beginning
Drawn from considerable experience and an unrivalled track record
What is Hyas
Hyas is a relatively new and expanding town planning, masterplanning and placemaking consultancy focussed upon helping deliver great places through the planning system. The practice has a particular niche and high level of knowledge and experience relating to delivering large scale growth initiatives, urban extensions, new settlements, Garden Communities and wider growth strategies.
With a core staff of trusted and experienced professionals, a strong reputation and track record, and a unique ‘collaborative’ project focused approach, Hyas provides something different to mainstream planning consultancies.
Hyas has been founded by a small number of original members of the Advisory Team for Large Applications (ATLAS).
The ATLAS service was previously delivered by the Government. It supported Local Authorities and their partners to bring large scale residential proposals effectively through the planning system. The approach of Hyas takes forward the positive, visionary and inclusive approach that underpinned the success and good market reputation that the ATLAS team had established. The ethos is the same – to work with local stakeholders in an independent manner to help bring forward great places through positive working. The name ‘Hyas’ captures the essence of this evolution, as, in Greek mythology, Hyas was the son of the Titan Atlas.
The team fully understand that every project will have different needs and challenges. A bespoke service is provided addressing the specific issues, needs & challenges. We will take into account a project’s broader context, the key stakeholders involved and wider influences.
Working with Hyas
Our approach: Providing a bespoke service, understanding issues & challenges, finding solutions, and enabling the delivery of great places.
How we do it: By understanding the issues and perspectives of multiple stakeholders and our ability to evolve and implement effective solutions,
Our range of services: We provide a wide range of services in response to needs, from critical friend advice, providing capacity to delivering on defined tasks.
We Can Deliver On Projects: With a clear focus on delivery, drawing together knowledge on planning with an understanding of how to realise development on the ground including addressing planning considerations alongside approaches to land, funding and governance.
Trusted & experienced partners: We operate in an open and transparent manner, and have built a strong reputation as being independent, knowledgeable and experienced practitioners.
Strong track record & reputation: The team have worked on many of the largest schemes across the country and have built up an enviable reputation for providing robust and clear advice and guidance.
Positive & solution focussed: We bring considerable knowledge and understanding of the issues, challenges and approaches of Local Authorities, blended together with full awareness of the needs and drivers of the private sector to help find and broker solutions to challenges.
Our Ethos
We pride ourselves in offering something different to the mainstream. That difference comes from our drive and dedication to help a range of stakeholders achieve the best possible outcomes in terms of effective planning and scheme delivery processes that can ultimately lead to high quality placemaking outcomes.
Our team is made up of positive and dedicated professionals with a high level of practical experience, commercial awareness and a truly integrated understanding of place-making, town planning and delivery. We often act as critical friend advisors, building understanding and local capacity. Whilst we can operate in a traditional sense to undertake defined tasks and projects, we also often become strongly embedded within and treated as part of the client’s team, working positively, collaboratively and as a shared endeavour.
Our people are bright, personable, thorough and reliable. They are also visionary and innovative problem solvers with a can-do attitude.
Our mission
“to work proactively and collaboratively with others on strategic planning and placemaking projects, being seen as recognised and respected experts, providing dedicated experienced and committed support that adds real value, builds local capacity and helps to deliver the highest quality places for the future.”
Our Working Principles
Our approach and ethos is achieved through a number of important working principles that underpin our approach to working with clients.
Acting positively, openly and collaboratively. We understand the needs & drivers of multiple stakeholders and will only take on projects where the stakeholders are approaching matters in a positive and collaborative way.
Bespoke, tailored support. We will work to adapt our service to individual project and client needs and cover a wide range of requirements. This will include diversifying into other areas where we can add value.
Flexible & responsive. We will work nimbly to address project and client needs in a flexible, responsive and open manner.
Outcome & delivery focussed. We will look towards the anticipated outcomes of our involvement to ensure that we bring our rounded knowledge and experience in an inclusive way to consider all key influences on the success of a project.
Innovative in process & outcome. We will support places and projects that are seeking to do things well and applying innovative thinking.
Experienced & dedicated. We will provide support at the level required, ranging from high level critical friend support to build local confidence and capacity, through to providing dedicated hands on capacity to get the job done.
Nationally recognised as experts. We will have a national spread of strategic projects, with a strong reputation as experts on large scale, complex projects.
Adding value. We will support projects where we feel we have the ability to add real value and where our background knowledge, experience and skill can be utilised to greatest effect.