We are delighted to have won Planning Consultancy of the Year at the 2015 Planning Journal Awards.

The winning entries were selected by a judging panel of 22 experts who were looking for evidence that entries had improved or were likely to improve the physical or environmental quality of a place or the economic or social well-being of a community.

Judges described LUC as a “clear winner”: “LUC’s submission illustrated the range of its work to improve the physical and environmental quality of places. Among many achievements, it showed how, in the last year the consultancy has secured permission for ground-breaking watercourse and wetland restoration schemes, undertaken research on how councils are planning for climate change, and led green belt reviews that have unlocked sites for sustainable development.” They pointed to our “tremendous track record” and were impressed by the team’s “clear, thoughtful and well-written application.”

LUC’s Head of Planning, Philip Smith, said at the time: “We are delighted that LUC has won this prestigious award as we approach our 50th anniversary next year. It is testament to the hard work and expertise of our planning team and our belief that planning has a hugely positive contribution to make towards a more sustainable future for communities and our environment.”

He added that, “In 2015, our planning team delivered a strong performance across all our core services: strategic and local planning; development planning and site appraisal; Sustainability Appraisal and SEA; HRA; and planning research and training. This diversity is a great strength: it ensures resilience in a challenging market, a variety of work and an ability to ‘look across the piece’. Much of our work focuses on the housing growth agenda and we work closely with LUC’s landscape architects, ecologists and GIS and visualisation teams to provide an integrated service for our clients.”