As Managing Director of Lapworth Architects, Manraj brings over 15 years of hands-on architectural expertise, having successfully led more than 3,000 projects across England. His portfolio spans from large-scale national retail rollouts to award-winning housing and heritage developments; demonstrating a winning combination of legal acumen and planning expertise.
Manraj now serves as CEO of UK Planning Gateway, where he is passionate about transforming how planning applications are managed. Frustrated by inefficiencies in planning systems, he launched the platform to empower both professionals and homeowners with a smarter, faster, and more reliable submission platform. His mission: to cut through bureaucracy, reduce risk, and accelerate outcomes.
At UK Planning Gateway:
Manraj drives the strategic vision, ensuring the platform’s legal rigor and seamless integration with council processes. Under his leadership, the platform remains sharp, scalable, and aligned with real-world planning practice; always putting users first.
Why UK Planning Gateway?
“Because nobody should lose time or money to a bad planning process. We’re building a platform I wish existed 10 years ago.”
Qualifications & Affiliations:
MCIOB – Chartered Member, Chartered Institute of Building
PGDL – Postgraduate Diploma in Law, The College of Law
BSc (Hons) – University of Birmingham