We will be part of the London Stand that will feature the London 2012 Olympic Park project. LDA Design was appointed to lead the masterplanning and detailed design for this landmark 21^st century park, Europe’s most significant and sustainable landscape project for a generation.

Our participants this year will be Neil Mattinson, Senior Partner  and Ashley Dunseath, Director, who will be pleased to meet you. If you are interested in finding out more about LDA Design’s diverse offer and how we work with clients to deliver sustainable development and commercial goals, please contact either to set up a meeting in advance.

For further information visit MIPIM http://www.mipim.com/mipim/ or London pavilion programme visit: www.pipers.co.uk/mipim.

We look forward to meeting you for the first time or renewing old acquaintances.

The brief was for an imaginative ‘Magic Garden’ design that will engage, inspire and surprise both young visitors and their families, with the underlying principle of ‘learning through play’.

Hampton Court Palace has an ancient and famous tradition for garden design and innovation, and already possesses magical qualities derived from its stories, legends and mythology, including the Tudor passion for decoration and symbolism, further enhanced by the Stuart fascination with wildernesses and mazes as play areas for the court. 

Our proposals divide the walled garden into a series of garden rooms- the Garden of Secret Chambers, the Garden of Love, the Decorated Garden and the King’s Garden – each with a different mood and each telling a different story related to the palace and its people.

The winning design will go on site this year and should be open to the public by Spring 2015.

To view the shortlist visit Hampton Court Palace website: http://www.hrp.org.uk/aboutus/whatwedo/introduction

Located between the village of Milford and the town of Godalming in Surrey, the 12.8 Ha (31.3 acres) Upper Tuesley site consists of land owned by the HCA that is surplus to requirements of the Milford Specialist Rehabilitation Hospital. While the hospital will continue to operate from its existing site, the surplus land is allocated in Waverley Borough Council’s Local Plan for residential development.

Both the HCA and local authority share the vision for the comprehensive redevelopment of this site to create a sustainable new neighbourhood. Their joint objectives are to deliver a new high quality, sustainable community that comprises homes of mixed tenure, which meet the aspirations of the Local Authority and the surrounding residents.

Colin James, Director at LDA Design, said: “We are looking forward to transforming this site into a sustainable mixed-use community. The team’s design approach will be sensitive to its green belt location and the farmyard clusters that characterise it, and ensure an outstanding standard of design quality and a high level of sustainability, which meets the needs and aspirations of local people and the Local Authority.”

The masterplan project for the Milford site has been awarded through the Parsons Brinckerhoff-LDA Design-GL Hearn long-term framework contract with the HCA which covers development opportunities on a range of government surplus sites. Under the same framework agreement, the consortium is also working to bring forward two other surplus public land sites for the HCA in Essex and the East Midlands.

• Landscape Policy – winner of this category for work on the Leeds City Region’s green infrastructure strategy, which contains a number of investment programmes highlighting the ways in which green infrastructure can deliver a wealth of economic, social and environmental benefits.

• Strategic Landscape Planning – commended for a landscape and seascape character assessment of the Dorset coast providing a robust evidence base for policy and planning.

• Heritage and Conservation – highly commended for work on the Boundary Gardens at Arnold Circus on the Boundary Estate restoring neglected gardens and bandstand in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, making them a community focus again.

Hosted by Tim Smit KBE, Chief Executive and co-founder of the Eden Project, the Landscape Institute Awards were set up to encourage and recognise outstanding examples of work by the landscape profession. The awards aim to bring greater awareness of the best contributions from Landscape Institute members in creating an improved environment..

Neil Mattinson, senior partner of LDA Design said: “These awards not only recognise the importance of good landscape planning and design to people and places across the UK, but are also a testament to the team’s hard work on a range of disciplines – from strategic green space planning and assessment to sensitive historical restoration.”

LDA Design also sponsored one of the four Future Vision Awards, an awards scheme for students that aims to find ideas for making villages, towns and cities better places to live. The Open Spaces Award was won by University of Sheffield student Jotaro Tokunaga for his work on transforming neglected urban spaces into corridor parks. Jotaro will receive a four-week work placement with LDA Design.

Other winners were: Jack Champs, University of Brighton (Future Buildings Award), John Killock, University of Westminster (Future Communities Award), and Gerrit Kaiser, Royal College of Art (Future Green Thinking Award).

Senior Partner Colin Goodrum will be presenting: “Onshore Development – Public Perception of Turbines in the Landscape” on Day 2 of the conference. To see the full conference programme and to book: Renewable UK Conference Programme.
Visit us at our stand 290 to take part in our popular ‘Balloon Buster’ competition, meet our wind team for the first time, or catch up with us and renew acquaintances and share a glass of ‘Sea Breeze’.

LDA Design is an established and respected consultancy that has been working in the renewables sector since 1995 where we have been able to apply our considerable environmental expertise and design skills. We work throughout the UK with developers in the energy and construction industries, landowners, local authorities and communities to help them identify, plan and implement energy projects. Our energy team expanded in 2010, marking 15 years in the sector. We have a range of UK and international clients and are helping to deliver over 2 million homes equivalent of wind energy across the UK. We are constantly seeking opportunities to introduce the benefits and possibilities of integrating renewable energy technologies into other types of development including housing, new communities and as part of regeneration schemes so that our clients can work together to build developments that meet Government targets and address the challenges of climate change.

If you want to have a look at some examples of our work in the wind energy industry in advance then visit the Renewable Energy section on this website featuring: Onshore wind farms – North Pickenham, Keadby and two of our offshore wind farms:Thanet and Gunfleet Sands.

If you want to get in touch in advance of the event contact:
Colin Goodrum T:01733 310471 or
William Wheeler T:01865 887050

Hope to see you there.

The scheme, at Marston near Grantham, Lincolnshire, comprises 19,500 photovoltaic (PV) panels covering an area of 12.2 hectares and will generate 4.5MWp of electricity. This is enough to power 1,200 homes over the course of a year. It was commissioned in July and is now feeding renewable electricity into the National Grid.

The project was undertaken on behalf of Lark Energy, a specialist energy division within the Larkfleet Group of companies, who took the bold decision to press ahead with the project when the Government announced an early review of the Feed-in Tariff, the funding mechanism which supports such projects. The solar farm had to be commissioned and connected to the electricity grid by 31st July 2011 to avoid a 72% cut in funding.

LDA Design’s role included planning consultancy, landscape and visual impact assessment, ecological assessment and mitigation, and negotiation of planning conditions. LDA Design worked with the local planning authority to reduce the timescale of the planning process, preparing and submitting additional information to avoid the need for pre-commencement planning conditions.

Charles Crawford, Director of LDA Design, said: “We are delighted to be involved in the birth of a new sector of renewable energy projects in the UK. Due to the changes in the Feed-in Tariff, very few solar farms will be constructed this year and we are pleased to have played a part in delivering one of the largest. The way the project was delivered so quickly, with widespread public support, demonstrates the potential of solar PV to make a major contribution to reducing the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels.”

Jonathan Selwyn, Managing Director of Lark Energy, commented: “The delivery of the solar farm within a very tight timescale required 100% commitment from a wide team of specialists. LDA Design played a major part in helping us meet the deadline and deliver the project.”

The Burbo Bank extension site, covering an area of 40km² and with a maximum capacity of approximately 250MW, lies off Liverpool Bay coast whilst the Walney extension site, which covers 149km² and has a capacity of 750MW, is located approximately 15km off Walney Island, Cumbria, in the Irish Sea.

The Crown Estate originally awarded five extension sites in May 2010. However, only four sites are now being taken forward and LDA Design is delighted to be undertaking the SLVIA for the three largest of the remaining four sites. In addition to the Burbo Bank and Walney extension sites, LDA Design has been working for developers SSE Renewables and RWE Npower Renewables on the proposed Galloper site located in the Thames Estuary. Galloper Wind Farm has a maximum capacity of 504MW covering an area of 174.9km². LDA Design is also assisting with the landscape and visual assessment work associated with the onshore substations and grid connections for all three developments.

William Wheeler – Director of Wind Energy, LDA Design said: “As part of our ongoing commitment to our offshore wind energy business we are delighted to have been appointed by DONG Energy to assist in delivering these important extension projects. We provide a wealth of assessment and associated services to help our clients plan, assess and deliver renewable energy projects.”

The scheme enhances the historic city and docks in a sympathetic manner consistent with the area’s conservation status. It also importantly serves as a key link to facilitate pedestrian movement between the historic retail heart of the city and the new retail development at Gloucester Quays, knitting together three of the city’s ‘Magnificent Seven’ redevelopment sites: Gloucester Quays, the Docks and Blackfriars.

LDA Design was appointed by the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) and Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration Company (GHURC) to develop concept and detailed design proposals for the route and its principal spaces. The scheme was funded by the South West RDA, Gloucestershire County Council and Gloucester City Council.

After a three year design and construction period the scheme is now complete. The design includes major new public art commissions inspired by local stories, new street furniture, semi mature trees, natural stone steps and feature lighting. Clear pedestrian priority streets and spaces now define the route into the city. The scheme also included signage and wayfinding to announce, identify and define the new spaces and route.

The community and local stakeholders were involved throughout the design process, and the scheme has already triggered substantial private sector investment along the route. The bespoke design and build quality of the new public realm has created a special and memorable place.

“After years of under-investment, the careful redesign reflects the scale and proportions of the spaces, incorporating the rich architectural and industrial heritage of the area. It will also serve as an important cohesive pedestrian link between the heart of the city and the new retail quarter at Gloucester Quays.” commented Peter Holloway, Development Manager at SWRDA.

Chris Oldershaw, Chief Executive, from GHURC said: “The success of the linkages scheme is crucial in sustaining the city’s regeneration programme, which has attracted £400m of private investment over the last five years. The transformation of the public realm and the spaces linking the Quays and city centre and stunning artworks along its length, is drawing increasing numbers of visitors from the quays and docks and encouraging them to spend more time and money in the city centre.”

Dafydd Warburton, principal consultant and project leader at LDA Design, added: “This scheme is an excellent example of how, with leadership and vision, the energy and enthusiasm of a wide range of stakeholders can be harnessed to achieve a substantial improvement in the public realm of a historic city and, in the process, achieve significant economic impact.”

Community Energy – planning, development and delivery, a Combined Heat & Power Association (CHPA), LDA Design and Town & Country Planning Association (TCPA) guide, outlines a straightforward step-by-step approach to the challenge of creating a successful and efficient community energy scheme.

Hundreds of pioneering groups across the UK are already showing how it can be done. But thousands of others are still in dark, wondering how to get started. The guide has been created to help steer them through the process to success, allowing them to play a full role in the community energy revolution taking root across the country.

There are significant benefits of DIY energy generation for communities – slashing CO² emissions and saving thousands of pounds on energy bills. Schemes also often reinforce social bonds across a community, bringing ownership and boosting wider environmental awareness.

The guide focuses on the stages of development – rather than specific technology options – to make sure, whichever opportunity is pursed, it is delivered for optimum benefit. It has also been authored to ensure it is of relevance for a wide ranging audience including sustainability and energy officers, through to planners and community groups, alongside others such as property developers and housing associations.

It is designed to assist potential energy project developers to:

• Translate energy opportunities into financially viable and deliverable low-carbon projects;
• Understand the stages of developing an energy project and who is involved along the way;
• Identify the most appropriate and best fit business and financial models for their scheme;
• Understand, create or influence energy maps for use as a resource to inform projects, master plans or development plans;
• Gain an understanding of energy use in buildings and developments and a range of energy sources that may be at their disposal;

The guide is being formally launched along with the Homes and Communities Agency’s District Heating Good Practice: Learning from the Low Carbon Infrastructure Fund, on 25th November at Integrated Energy 2010, the CHPA’s annual conference. It will also be distributed to all councils across the UK, is being promoted by a wide range of third party organisations – including a range of eminent sponsors – and is available for download, from today, on the websites of the publishing and supporting organisations.

Authors, Michael King, Associate of the CHPA and Chairman of Aberdeen Heat and Power Company, and Robert Shaw, Sustainability & Climate Change Director at LDA Design, hope the guide will convert ambition into action, helping individuals and community groups’ take-up the challenge of local energy generation.

“Fulfilling the binding commitment that the UK has made to deliver significant increases in renewable energy generation will be difficult to achieve unless more of us become energy generators as well as consumers,” says co-author of the guide Robert Shaw. “But perhaps more importantly the long term financial savings can be just as substantial as the environmental benefits community energy schemes provide.”

“Schemes don’t have to be large or complex. Even small projects can generate a good income and grow over time; all for the benefit of the local community – it’s true localism in action,” adds co-author Michael King. “Having undertaken the challenge myself, I understand that creating a community energy scheme requires the right approach. Our guide and the other tools soon to be launched promise to be invaluable in guiding others to success.”

Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the TCPA outlined the importance of community energy: “Adapting our villages, towns and cities to the impacts of climate change is one of the greatest challenges society faces today. Local communities are at the cutting edge of this challenge because they have responsibility for a whole range of decisions that are vital to our collective future. The Community Energy guide shows how local communities, local planning authorities and private developers can work together to ensure that we achieve positive solutions on energy demand reduction and renewable energy.”

Community Energy – planning, development and delivery is a free and fully accessible information resource. Although suitable for all low and zero carbon technologies, the guide’s emphasis is on district heating and combined heat and power. These schemes can be more complex to bring to fruition yet generally offer substantial benefit and form a key part of the decentralised energy mix.

The guide is sponsored by the HCA, Cooperative Bank, ENER-G, Energy Saving Trust, E.ON, Dalkia, Renewables East, Arup and Vital Energi.

It is just one of series of complimentary tools emerging for the UK- all helping audiences understand and exploit community energy opportunities. They include the Community Energy guide, alongside additional resources from the HCA, Local Government Improvement and Development (formerly IDeA), also authored by Robert Shaw at LDA Design, and the Centre for Sustainable Energy, amongst others.

View the Community Energy Guide:

Community Energy: Planning, Development and Delivery.pdf