Big Picture, Small Wins: Why the Smaller Projects Matter

At ROAM Consulting, we’re proud to be involved in large-scale projects, strategic plans, and resource consents that shape regions, influence national conversations, and require big-picture thinking. From renewable energy infrastructure to destination-defining recreation networks and strategies, these projects challenge us to think boldly, work smartly, and deliver future-focused, robust outcomes.

But there’s another side to our work that is just as rewarding, if not more so.

Sometimes, it’s the smaller, local projects that leave the biggest impression. These projects may never make headlines, but they make a real difference to real people by helping local businesses adapt, grow, and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

Here are two examples where ROAM supported good people to achieve great results.

The Brantry – Hospitality Meets Creativity

The Brantry Restaurant has long been a staple of Taupō’s dining scene. Like many in the hospitality sector, it faced serious challenges in the wake of COVID-19. But rather than wind down, the family behind The Brantry reimagined what their site could offer. Their vision: to bring together their restaurant, catering business, and the ZeaYou Art Gallery under one roof to form Brantry House, a creative, vibrant food and art destination.

Di and Eric approached ROAM on the tail of COVID to support them in consenting their vision. The proposal required a careful assessment under the Taupō District Plan. It involved a modest increase in activity, minor signage changes, and a shift in the use of existing floor space in of the restaurant to accommodate the gallery under the same roof. While technically exceeding certain thresholds for activity in a residential zone, the development retained the residential character of the site and demonstrated no material impact on neighbours or the Town Centre.

More than that, it created something special. Brantry House is now a hub for locals and visitors alike. It is a space that showcases local art, offers great food, and adds vibrancy to the neighbourhood. It’s an authentic Taupō experience that enhances the town’s identity as a thriving destination.

This consent was all about communicating Di and Erics vision to the decision makers so that they could see the benefits of what is being proposed. All too often as planners we focus on the adverse effects and forget about the wider positive stories associated with peoples plans.

The Accounting Store – Business with Heart

Another consent that brought quiet satisfaction to us involved a small family-run accountancy business, The Accounting Store. When faced with rising costs and a lack of suitable commercial space in the Taupō Town Centre, the Lance and Jane found a solution that allowed them to keep their business and its culture intact.'

Their chosen location was a modest home in the Residential Environment. The proposal: a change of use that would allow the small team to operate from this new premises with a deliberate effort to preserve the site’s residential appearance and feel.

But for us, the real story here was not just one of technical compliance.

This is a business built on relationships. The team at the Accounting Store prides itself on a welcoming, down-to-earth approach: “Come in, the kettle’s just boiled, make yourself a cuppa and let’s have a chat.” That’s their brand and the homely character of the new site will allow them to keep offering that personal experience in a way no Town Centre office could. We developed an application that captured this brand and the importance of working from a location which enabled that brand to be maintained.

Our application enabled the Council’s planning team to adopt a balanced and well-considered approach. The impact on the Town Centre was shown to be negligible, and the residential character of the site was preserved. Additionally, the application satisfied the criteria for sound planning by facilitating the ongoing operation of a viable, low-impact business that benefits both its clients and its community.

This was a good example of working with Council staff, not in opposition, but in partnership.

There was a collective willingness by the Council team to engage in the nuances of the application, understand the context, and focus on positive outcomes. This meant that ROAM was able to develop and deliver a consent that stayed true to the Plan while enabling a positive outcome for the team at the Accounting Store. That’s how good planning should work, not a ‘them vs us’, but a shared process to support good outcomes.

Planning Through Partnership

Both projects highlight what’s possible when planning is approached not as a box-ticking exercise or an adversarial process, but as a collaborative effort to find the best outcome. It’s about recognising that not all good ideas fit neatly within a plan, and that’s okay.

These were not about bending the rules. They were about interpreting the plan with care, considering scale, context, intent, and effect and telling a clear story about the benefits. In both cases, council decision-makers saw that the positives far outweighed the minor technical breaches.

Why the Smaller Projects Matter

We love the big stuff, the national infrastructure, the regional development strategies, the complex multi-agency work. But we also love the small wins. The family business that gets to stay true to itself. The creative hospitality team that turns challenge into creativity. The clients who say, “this made a real difference to us.” These projects may be small in scale, but they’re huge for the people involved, and that makes helping them deeply rewarding.

Because at the end of the day, planning is about people. And it’s these people-focused projects that remind us why we do what we do.