About COALFACE
Senior political fluency and analytical rigour applied to planning consultation and governance work
Explore the About Section
Learn more about COALFACE, our founder, team, careers, and frequently asked questions.
About COALFACE
Our Purpose
COALFACE exists to bridge the gap between technical planning expertise and political reality. We help local authorities, developers, and public sector bodies navigate complex governance landscapes with confidence and credibility. Our work is grounded in deep understanding of how decisions are actually made in local government.
How We Work
We combine rigorous analysis with political fluency to deliver insights that matter. Our approach recognises the complexity of contemporary local government—fiscal constraints, political cycles, and community expectations all shape decision-making. We design engagement and advisory services that respect these realities while maintaining analytical precision.
Why Clients Work With Us
Our Difference
Senior expertise:
Our team brings decades of experience in planning, governance, and political economy.
Governance-aware approach:
We understand how councils operate and design solutions that work within real constraints.
Actionable insights:
We deliver evidence-led findings that inform real decisions and support sustainable outcomes.
Related Services
Explore how our core services support planning consultation, governance analysis, and strategic advisory across the UK.
COALFACE ENGAGEMENT
Planning consultation and engagement shaped by community insight and political behaviour.
Learn MoreCOALFACE INSIGHT
Planning insight that explains how decisions are made in local government.
Learn MoreCOUNCIL SCANNER
Digital tool for council and governance intelligence across English local authorities.
Learn MoreThe Founder's Journey: From Council Chambers to Consultancy
Rowan Cole, the Founder of COALFACE, is a specialist in planning communications and political risk. He advises developers, local authorities, and investors on complex schemes where deep political insight and an understanding of governance conditions are critical to securing deliverable planning decisions. His unique career path is the bedrock of the company's expertise.
Early Public Service
Rowan began his career at age 20, becoming the youngest person ever elected to Elmbridge Council while studying for his politics degree at the University of Surrey. This early start provided him with a foundational, first-hand insight into the workings of local government.
A 360-Degree View
His career has been intentionally built to encompass every key role within the planning process. He has direct experience as a "Councillor, Officer and Project Team" member, giving him a complete, 360-degree viewpoint that other consultancies cannot replicate.
Recognised Thought Leader
Rowan is an established expert on the real-world pressures impacting the planning system. His work analysing the profound effects of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and severe financial stress on planning performance has established him as a leading voice on critical governance conditions.
This comprehensive, multi-faceted experience directly informs the distinct approach COALFACE takes to navigating the complexities of the modern planning environment.
What Makes COALFACE Different?
In a crowded marketplace filled with firms that can run consultation activities, COALFACE stands apart. It was created to help clients navigate the politics and governance of planning, not simply to deliver another consultation exercise. This focus on the decision-making environment, rather than just the process, defines the company's value.
Politically-Literate Advice
Our consultancy practice doesn't get bogged down by party lines or networks of 'who knows who'. Local planning is shaped by the micro-politics of place, and that is where we excel. Our advice starts with an understanding of political behaviour and the real-world governance conditions where decisions are made, ensuring every strategy is grounded in reality.
A Clear Moral Compass
COALFACE is not neutral about outcomes. The company actively supports good growth and better housing because it views planning as a social contract. Its work is driven by a commitment to restoring fairness for current and future generations by ensuring the planning system delivers the homes and jobs people need.
Intelligence-Driven Strategy
The Council Scanner, a unique diagnostic tool, brings concrete governance and planning intelligence into every project. It provides a structured analysis of a council's performance, financial resilience, and political culture, allowing strategies to be built on evidence, not assumptions.
Modern and Proportionate Methods
COALFACE ethically harnesses modern tools, including AI, to strengthen senior judgment and gather evidence more efficiently. This approach ensures that senior time is spent on strategy and insight, making engagement more effective and proportionate to the challenge at hand.
This unique approach is brought to life for clients through three core, interconnected services.
Our Services: The Three Pillars of COALFACE
The work of COALFACE is organised through three complementary service lines that provide a coherent offer for organisations facing complex challenges. These pillars are COALFACE Engagement, COALFACE Insights, and the COALFACE Council Scanner.
COALFACE Engagement: Modern Consultation for the Real World
This service provides modern, proportionate and intelligence-driven engagement for planning and regeneration programmes. Planning has always been political with a small 'p'. We empower developers, councils and communities to navigate it, and reach workable compromises, with confidence. Key activities include consultation for major schemes and Local Plan engagement.
Learn MoreCOALFACE Insights: Understanding a System Under Pressure
This is the analysis hub of COALFACE, dedicated to delivering engaging insights that drive community understanding, political confidence, and better long-term decisions for all. It translates major challenges—such as governance conditions, financial pressures like Section 114 notices, and system-wide reforms—into clear, practical intelligence for stakeholders. This service helps clients and communities understand the real-world impact of major shifts like Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) on planning performance and risk.
Learn MoreCOALFACE Council Scanner: Intelligence for Better Decisions
The COALFACE Council Scanner is a unique diagnostic tool providing structured intelligence on governance resilience, financial stability and planning behaviour. It delivers clear, accessible data, aiding stakeholders and councils to understand performance and inform faster, more confident decision-making. The Council Scanner delivers distinct value to each of its key audiences:
For the Public
Makes local governance transparent and plainly informs the community, empowering them to engage decision-makers with confidence.
For Developers
Provides insight into a council's track record and culture to help focus investment, avoid stalled years, and make better-informed decisions.
For Councils
Functions as a diagnostic tool to highlight internal process blockages, departmental misalignments, and improve operational effectiveness.
These three pillars work together to provide clients with a complete toolkit for navigating planning in a complex world.
Let's Work Together
Get in touch to discuss how COALFACE can support your planning and governance needs