Landscape

Delivering nature-based solutions and regenerative-design approaches

Landscape planning, design and management considered from the outset can deliver significant benefits to your project, including biodiversity net gain and cost and efficiency savings. Our experienced team of chartered landscape architects can provide a bespoke range of strategic landscape planning, research, design, management and landscape and visual impact assessments (LVIA). We assist at every stage of the process, from strategic planning and decision-making to implementing on-site work and aftercare.

We deliver landscape-led solutions that positively contribute to nature recovery and environmental resilience to overcome our clients’ problems. Nature-based solutions and regenerative design approaches are increasingly part of our day-to-day work.

As an RSK company, our services and expertise will continue to grow, as we can draw on the wide range of skills offered by our RSK colleagues to help you get planning consent and deliver a project that works for people and the planet.

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What we do

Landscape planning
Landscape planning is not an off-the-shelf process; it requires an understanding of your proposals and the unique environment in which you are building. Our landscape-led approach from outset to delivery recognises that everything is connected and helps you to unlock and realise the natural capital value inherent within your plans.

Our diverse offering includes green infrastructure, open space strategies, landscape and townscape characterisation and sensitivity studies, LVIAs and townscape and visual assessments, including tall building studies. By offering integrated landscape planning solutions as a framework or to complement a corresponding design, our end-to-end approach helps drive efficiency and opportunity.

Macro-scale landscape planning and decision-making
Our experienced team develops bespoke, best-practice approaches to a variety of evidence-based needs for local authority, third sector and other clients to ensure landscape is embedded at the core of environmental planning and long-term decisions that shape our environment for generations. This includes landscape and townscape characterisation, view management, green infrastructure and green space planning. We also advise on landscape planning matters as part of the land promotion process.

Site search and feasibility
Early investment in the feasibility of a project and the suitability of a site can reduce risk, cut constraints and ensure you give your project the best chance of success. Our bespoke search service, using geographic information system (GIS) constraints sieving, can help you find the most suitable site for your development. Informed by years of experience and industry knowledge, our team can sift through broad searches to find the sites with the greatest potential for planning consent.

LVIA
We are a leading authority on LVIAs to accompany EIA and non-EIA planning applications. We are pioneers of best practice and see current guidance as a baseline for our work. We go beyond expectations to deliver LVIAs and guidance on critical landscape and visual design issues. We understand the challenges and offer bespoke scoping for every scheme.

Tall buildings and protected views
We understand that tall buildings must be built sensitively to specialist planning and design requirements. We can help you navigate these localised challenges in often overly sensitive environmental contexts and convey how your project will interact with its surroundings.

Key services

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Planning
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Landscape
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Environmental impact assessments
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Graphics

Landscape expert witness
Our directors offer a wealth of experience as landscape and visual expert witnesses for planning appeals, public inquiries and Development Consent Order (DCO) examinations. Their years of knowledge, understanding of sensitive landscape issues and firm grasp of national and local planning policies are reflected in the company’s strong track record of success in acting as expert witness for developers, planning authorities and local groups.

Landscape and urban design and masterplanning
Our UK-wide expertise means we know what it takes to design a project so that it fits seamlessly into its environment. We help you design and realise projects that conserve and enhance resilient and thriving ecosystems and habitats, delivering nature-based solutions that respond sensitively to localised challenges. Landscape-led approaches to masterplanning and design in urban and rural environments are at the heart of what our design team does. This helps our clients optimise their assets, achieve savings and add value by creating better, more resilient, adaptable places, spaces and development. It also leads to higher quality, integrated design outcomes and a higher probability of successful planning consent.

Landscape management
Managing and protecting land and landscapes for future generations is at the heart of our approach to long-term planning. We are committed to understanding the intricacies of a given site to prepare landscape management plans and strategies that respond to site-specific issues and realise design aspirations. By considering landscape management from the outset of a project, we can optimise our approach to deliver tangible value.

Site restoration, aftercare and new income streams
Once your work is complete, you will find yourself facing questions about what is next for the site. We can help you plan and prepare for the restoration of a site and generate new revenue streams, caring for the environment and land.

Landscape research
As well as having practical knowledge and applying our skills to help clients realise and manage their ambitions for sites and projects, we are adept as thought leaders, developing landscape research and pioneering new approaches to problem-solving. An authoritative voice in landscape research, we enjoy the intellectual and creative challenge of developing robust, evidenced methodologies, challenging the status quo and finding better ways to do things.

Take a look at our latest projects

Pennyfeathers mixed use development, Isle of Wight

Newcastle-under-Lyme Open Space and Green Infrastructure Strategy

Options Appraisal, Land at River Dean, Styal

Landscape planning for residential site promotion, West Kirby

Homes England Land and Risk Management

East West Rail Ecological Compensation Sites

William Blythe Chemical Works Site Restoration

Rampion Offshore Wind Farm and Onshore Grid Connection