The clients owned an existing 310m2 commercial unit which, having closed their business, they wished to redevelop as a mixed use office and residential development. The property was however located within an Employment Growth Area which meant that any proposal for redevelopment was required to incorporate the maximum amount of business floorspace reasonably possible on the site.The clients owned an existing 310m2 commercial unit which, having closed their business, they wished to redevelop as a mixed use office and residential development. The property was however located within an Employment Growth Area which meant that any proposal for redevelopment was required to incorporate the maximum amount of business floorspace reasonably possible on the site. We worked with a viability consultant to provide evidence that an entirely commercial development would not be viable. Instead we negotiated a commercial-residential split of 490m2 and 305m2 respectively allowing the incorporation of five residential units within the development.The second major challenge associated with the proposed development was that it would be substantially higher than the existing adjacent commercial units. Working with Douglas and King architects we developed a scheme which the local planning authority’s design officer supported.We presented the scheme at planning committee where it received unanimous support from elected members.