Political battles are won on the doorstep.
Online campaigning has a limit - whether you’re supporting or opposing something, the most effective campaigns rely on activity on the ground.
van der Knight can devise and execute field campaigns that get results and shift the narrative.
Field Campaigns
Gareth Knight has managed and supported campaigns across the country and believes in a hands-on and targeted approach to campaigning. Every campaign is different and each one is a learning experience. Gareth is a strong supporter of “nudge” campaign techniques that inform decision makers and allow them to draw their own conclusions rather than hard-sell to them.
Case study 1: making affordable housing the issue to secure planning permission
Challenge
A developer sought outline planning permission for a housing development in the middle of a coastal village. The site was not accessible to the public but was visible to many local residents. House prices in the area were high, and there was concern about the potential loss of a “green lung” in the heart of the village and the gradual merger of neighbouring towns and villages along the coast. The developer’s agency needed a way to shift the planning committee’s focus towards the need for more housing.
Approach
van der Knight was asked to devise and lead a 20‑month ground campaign designed to influence members of the planning committee by making the housing need the central issue. The campaign:
• focused on reframing the debate around the shortage of affordable housing in the village
• sustained engagement over a long period to ensure the issue remained prominent
• supported the agency’s wider work by reinforcing the housing‑need narrative in local political discussions
Outcome
Planning permission was secured with overwhelming support from the planning committee. During deliberation, members of the committee quoted campaign messages directly, demonstrating that the arguments developed and promoted through the campaign had shaped how they understood and discussed the application.
Case study 2: giving residents a voice for their concerns
Approach
An agency asked van der Knight to create and run a four‑month ground campaign to help residents reach a compromise with planning officers. The campaign:
focused on helping residents engage constructively with the planning process
targeted councillors with clear messages about residents’ concerns
highlighted ways councils could reduce noise and disturbance from tourism
linked those wider concerns directly to the specific campsite application
Challenge
Residents of a wealthy rural village wanted to oppose a planning application for a campsite on a heritage asset. Months of acrimony had divided the village, and although planning permission was likely to be granted, residents wanted to mitigate its impact rather than simply see it approved unchanged.
Outcome
Planning permission was granted, but with numerous conditions attached. These conditions reassured residents that the campsite would not harm the heritage asset or cause problems for the village.
Challenge
A strategic land fund had an interest in a medium‑sized site but faced a political narrative that major development sites in the area had already been sufficiently allocated. With local elections approaching, development and site allocation were expected to become significant campaign issues. The company needed to ensure their site was not targeted negatively while rival sites were.
Case study 3: making the case for an alternative, more electorally acceptable plan
Approach
Their agency asked van der Knight to create and run a four‑week ground campaign focused on the local elections. The campaign:
encouraged residents to question candidates about their views on development sites
ensured the client’s site was not the focus of negative attention
positioned rival sites as more appropriate targets for scrutiny
subtly highlighted the client’s site as a favourable alternative without direct promotion
Outcome
Development sites previously considered “settled” were reopened for debate. The client’s site emerged as a viable alternative, and planning permission for the site was ultimately granted.