Land Use Consultants services

Planning & Environmental Impact Assessment

Environmental Impact Assessment

LUC has played a pioneering role in EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) in the UK since the 1970s. We are Registrants of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA)’s Quality Mark Scheme and are fully committed to finding innovative design and environmental solutions for our clients.

Sustainability Appraisal / Strategic Environmental Assessment

Our environmental planning team has a long track record of undertaking SA (Sustainability Appraisal) and SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment). LUC planners take an innovative approach to SA/SEA ensuring that whilst legislative requirements are met, the process does not become a ‘box-ticking’ exercise. Instead, we seek to work closely with the plan-making team to ensure that the SA/SEA significantly improves the contribution the plan makes to sustainable development. We assisted the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (forerunner to CLG) in preparing national guidance on SA/SEA of Regional Spatial Strategies and Local Development Frameworks and have undertaken SA/SEA of policies and plans at all levels, national, regional and local. We also provide a highly successful ‘critical friend’ service to support plan-making authorities that undertake SA/SEA in-house to ensure compliance with the SEA Directive and SA Guidance.

Habitats Regulations Assessment

Since the introduction of the requirement to undertake HRA (Habitats Regulations Assessment) of development plans in 2006, LUC`s planning and ecology teams have helped develop best practice in HRA. We worked closely with Natural England, a joint consultants’ group (which formulated informal guidance for HRA in advance of the Government’s guidance) and a number of planning bodies at both the regional and local level. In addition, we have provided training in HRA to Natural England officers across England. We work with a broad range of clients, including local authorities throughout the country undertaking all types of Development Plan Documents (DPDs), including those for minerals and waste. We also worked with the former Regional Planning Bodies and undertake HRA of development projects as well as plans. Our team seeks to work closely with statutory nature conservation bodies and other stakeholders to ensure robust assessment and develop concensus.

Strategies, Plans and Policies

LUC planners are experienced in developing plans and policies at a local and national level, and have done so for a wide range of public sector clients and NGOs. Our understanding of the spatial planning system enables us to develop plans and policies which are robust, appropriate and deliverable.

Research and Guidance

We have a wide and long-standing range of experience in undertaking research and preparing guidance for Government departments and agencies, industry bodies, planning authorities and advisory groups. Research can be specifically related to planning issues, such as environmental capacity studies, and used to help inform policy development or have a broader environmental scope such as studies on the environmental economy. This area of work also covers the formulation of tools and techniques, such as Quality of Life Assessment and methods for analysing and negotiating environmental limits in the context of sustainable economic growth. We have undertaken research and guidance across a variety of sectors including climate change (Defra), water (SEPA), housing (Home Builders Federation) and Health (NHS Healthy Urban Development Unit).

Consultation and Facilitation

LUC has extensive experience of community engagement, consultation, capacity-building, building consensus and action planning through participatory appraisal and event facilitation. Successful engagement with stakeholders is a pre-requisite for much of the planning work we do.

Town Planning & Site Assessment

With considerable experience of the statutory planning process, we act for the public, private and voluntary sectors on a wide range of town planning and site assessment issues. We have a proven track record in managing all stages of the planning application process from design concept to completion. Our team offers detailed planning advice for both large and small scale redevelopment, as well as new build projects in sensitive locations.

Landscape Planning

Seascape Assessment & Marine Planning

We seek to ensure that a thorough understanding of seascape character is considered in development proposals. Our strong understanding of seascape character and independent stance means that we are often called upon by both national and local decision-makers to provide advice on coastal and offshore developments. Our landscape planners are also involved in undertaking and reviewing SLVIAs for marine and coastal developments, including offshore wind, new tidal technologies and related grid connections.

Planning for Multifunctional Landscapes

We have played a key role in developing approaches to green infrastructure (GI) planning, design and delivery since 2005. We have wide experience of planning for multifunctional landscapes in practice from regional, sub regional to county and district level. LUC provides a complete service devising GI proposals that respond to local needs and sense of place. We are develop practical action plans and delivery frameworks to ensure that proposals area achievable and sustainable. A particular strength is our integrated, multi disciplinary GI team, which draws on all of our main skill areas – landscape architecture (landscape planning, design and management), planning, ecology and GIS. Our collaborative approach enables us to have the required multi dimensionality demanded by green infrastructure planning, providing the most effective, innovative and workable solutions.