About Us
Avocado Planning was founded by Mariam Bari, who works within a local planning authority day in, day out. From that position she observes a consistent and costly pattern — industry professionals and applicants engaging with the planning system without a coherent strategy or a considered plan of action.
It occurs regardless of the scale of the proposal. Whether a householder extension or a major development scheme, the approach is rarely considered with sufficient rigour. Applications are submitted, refused and resubmitted along the same lines — when what required attention was never the application itself, but the strategic thinking behind it.
Avocado Planning was established to address precisely that gap. We provide the strategic counsel, insider knowledge and planning education that enables our clients to approach the system with clarity, precision and purpose — navigating towards the path of least resistance rather than working against it.
What We Do
We provide strategic planning counsel and education at every stage of the development process — prior to submission, during a project where progress has stalled, or following a refusal where a considered way forward is required.
Our role is to develop the strategy. How to approach the system, how to interpret and apply planning policy with precision, how to construct a compelling and well-reasoned planning argument, and what options are available at each stage. As a matter of principle, we do not involve ourselves in submitting applications. This is a deliberate position — it ensures that the counsel we provide is entirely independent, and that we are able to assess objectively whether the current approach, the application strategy, or the professional team delivering it requires reconsideration.
We also deliver training and professional development for planning consultancies, architectural practices and construction businesses. Our programmes go beyond policy knowledge — we teach industry professionals how to interpret and apply planning policy strategically, how to build a well-reasoned case, and how to engage with the planning system in a way that consistently delivers stronger outcomes for their clients. For businesses operating in the property and construction industry, this translates directly into more effective practice, stronger client relationships and a measurable professional edge.
Mariam Bari
Mariam Bari holds a Masters in Spatial Planning from University College London (RICS and RTPI accredited) — the leading planning school in the country — and brings more than fifteen years of experience across planning and development, including the assessment and determination of planning applications within local government, and the project management of residential development schemes from inception through to delivery.
That breadth of professional experience — encompassing both the assessment of applications from within the planning authority and the delivery of development on the ground — forms the knowledge base upon which Avocado Planning is founded. It represents a depth of insider understanding that is not replicated elsewhere.
Professional independence
Avocado Planning operates with clear professional boundaries. To maintain full independence and avoid any conflict of interest, Mariam does not undertake private consultancy for sites falling within the local authority in which she holds her public sector position, nor does she advise on matters connected to her public sector caseload.