planning & development capability statement · through to planning and construction. ... water...

Planning & Development Capability Statement

Planning & Development

international expertiseLocal knowledge

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2 RPS is an international consultancy providing advice on:

n the development of land, property and infrastructure

n the exploration and production of energy and other natural resources

n the management of the environment

n the health and safety of people

As a FTSE 250 company with over 4,500 employees in offices worldwide, RPS delivers a unique range of technical, environmental, planning, and management skills.

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Our integrated approach

As a leading multi-disciplinary consultancy with expertise in all areas of the planning and development process, RPS is well placed to provide client-focused, cost-conscious solutions – whatever your project needs.

Acknowledged as experts in planning, transport, landscape architecture and environmental issues, we are also award winning civil, structural, mechanical and electrical engineers.

Our success comes from our ability to listen to our clients, understand their needs and aspirations and provide imaginative, commercially viable advice and project support. It’s a strategy with a proven record of success as much of our work comes from repeat business.

Our environmental roots mean that we have a unique ability to deliver schemes that meet the increasingly challenging sustainability standards expected by local and national government and those who own, occupy and fund developments.

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Newcastle Hospitals PFIRPS worked collaboratively with the project’s design team to provide the detailed design for the mechanical and electrical services. The scheme was split over two fully operational hospital sites in an urban setting in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The Royal Victoria Infirmary comprises over 65,000m2 of new build facilities in the centre of the site. Detailed

and complex service diversions have been carried out through the entire construction phase of the scheme without any unplanned service interruptions. The Freeman Hospital comprised circa 20,000m2 of highly serviced new build facilities on existing surface car parking areas and also incorporated a new multi-storey car park.

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Site Selection

Selecting the right site is critical for project success as location impacts every stage of a development project, from planning to engineering through to operation and maintenance.

At RPS, we have expertise in identifying and appraising sites based on our ability to establish the right balance between the commercial, technical, environmental,

transportation, community and land use considerations.

We use a range of GIS mapping, data collection and analysis tools and survey and reporting techniques to enable us to advise clients on a site’s potential and any areas for concern. Our ecologists combine their in-depth knowledge of legislation and policy with site scoping surveys to

ensure clients get a detailed picture of any potential ecological issues they may face as their project progresses. Our landscape planners identify sites where new developments fit with the form and character of the landscape to increase the chances of planning consents.


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Stratford City RedevelopmentRPS continues to advise Westfield on the redevelopment of Zone 1 ‘Stratford City’ in the Stratford Railway Lands in the London Borough of Newham.

The Stratford Railway Lands planning consent was approved in 2005 for a new metropolitan centre adjacent to the new International Railway Station and will include 5 million m2 of commercial development, 2 million m2 of retail and leisure development, around 5000 new homes together with additional public transport infrastructure and new parkland.

Stratford City Zone 1 is one of the largest retail-led, mixed-use urban regeneration projects in the UK. RPS has advised Westfield throughout the process and successfully managed and secured reserved matters approval for the main shopping mall that will comprise approximately 200 retail stores and leisure uses, key anchor stores - a John Lewis and a Marks & Spencer store, two hotels, offices, as well as supporting infrastructure such as the Town Centre Link Bridge linking Stratford Town Centre to Stratford City Zone 1.

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Planning and Consents

Our planners provide an unparalleled consultancy service advising on the preparation, submission and negotiation of planning applications and development consent orders for all types of development. As the planning system becomes increasingly complex, we have the skills and experience to co-ordinate the most cost effective solutions for clients.

We have highly experienced teams dealing with specific market areas from development through regeneration to waste and energy and other major infrastructure sectors. Our strength lies in the breadth and depth of our technical knowledge. We continuously monitor the changing legal and administrative environment within which our clients operate, and we pride ourselves on our ability to adapt our strategies to meet the specific requirements of different planning authorities.

Our approach includes:

n Negotiating with planning authorities including Planning Performance Agreements

n Stakeholder engagement and public consultation

n Negotiating planning conditions and Agreements

n Advising on achieving planning, listed building and conservation area consents

n Preparation, submission and management of applications and appeals

n Preparation and submission of supporting documentation including Environmental Assessment

n Co-ordinating client approach and providing expert witnesses at Inquiries and Hearings

n Planning enforcement matters.

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Environmental Impact Assessment, Sustainability and Project Communications

Planning for development in today’s world requires detailed investigation of all relevant environmental, social and economic issues. We have unrivalled experience in delivering environmental assessments for our clients, ensuring they are fully evaluated in the Environmental Statement or report without compromising the needs of the project. We are pioneers in delivering Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) on plans and programmes for public bodies.

Our experience of major applications puts us at the forefront of EIA and SEA best practice and ensures that our clients can submit comprehensive planning and development consent applications and infrastructure proposals that minimise the risk of delays during the planning process.

RPS is one of the few organisations that can provide all of the technical disciplines required for comprehensive EIA from acknowledged experts with Public Inquiry experience who are in-house.

Sustainability is at the heart of our business. It is central to everything we do - from our transport plans to our design schemes. With increasing environmental pressure and rising sustainability standards, we can support businesses as they work to build their environmental credentials and demonstrate their progress through sustainability appraisal.

We involve stakeholders in the projects we undertake and advise clients on mitigating the environmental impacts of projects. Our approach to awareness raising and stakeholder campaigns is award winning

– we combine technical expertise with modern communications techniques to address stakeholder issues from the outset.

Our approach is systematic and seeks to achieve the broadest engagement early in the process such that objective information and public understanding is facilitated in advance of the Planning Committee or Hearing.

We are experts in Health and Safety consultancy delivering construction supervision services, risk assessment and mitigation strategies.


Dublin Waste to Energy

RPS, along with a joint venture partner, were engaged by Dublin City Council on behalf of the four Dublin local authorities to act as client representative providing project management and technical advice to procure a thermal treatment plant in the Dublin region to treat municipal waste collected.

Our role in the project included site selection; managing the entire process

through to construction; managing input to the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS); managing baseline monitoring for the EIS; managing the planning and licensing process including Oral Hearings for planning permission and waste licence; foreshore and CER licence applications. Planning Approval was received and a Waste Licence was granted to allow construction to get underway.


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Arecleoch Windfarm RPS was commissioned by Scottishpower Renewables to carry out specialist hydrology consultancy services for the consented Arecleoch Windfarm.

We completed a number of hydrological assessments including the hydrology chapter for the Environmental Impact Assessment and all of the hydrological reports and assessments necessary to assist in the discharge of planning conditions required for consent.

A Water Management Plan (WMP) was produced detailing methods to control runoff and drainage from all hard surfaces within the site. The

ultimate purpose of the WMP was to protect the quality and quantity of the surface and groundwater environment. A Private Water Supply Assessment was carried out to determine the effects of the proposed development on the quantity and quality of water supplies. The Flood Risk Assessment determined what watercourses on-site and downstream were at risk of flooding as a direct result of the development of the proposed windfarm. We assessed and implemented the appropriate mitigation measures and we completed a watercrossing assessment and hydromorphological surveys at each crossing.

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Our specialist engineers and scientists are playing a leading role in developing sustainable best practice in water resource management. We have expert capabilities in freshwater and coastal water modelling, in aquatic ecology and coastal processes.

We are at the leading edge of implementation of the EU Floods Directive, including Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Studies (CFRAMS). We pioneer Sustainable Urban Drainage (SUDs) solutions for individual developments and at catchment level.

We are at the forefront of developing sustainable water supply resources and physical infrastructure. We specialise in strategic planning and delivery of water supply and wastewater engineering projects, both networks and treatment plants. We deliver these projects from initial feasibility study and concept design, through to planning and construction.

RPS has pioneered implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive in Ireland, North and South.

Our services include:

n River Catchment Management Plans

n Source identification and abstraction

n Water, wastewater and sludge treatment

n Water network management, leakage and asset studies

n Flooding & climate change

n Sustainable urban drainage

n Coastal processes & marine engineering.

Water Resource Planning and Engineering


Limerick Tunnel The 675m tunnel under the River Shannon, is one of the largest and most complex infrastructural projects ever undertaken in Mid-West Ireland. It will take up to 40,000 vehicles a day from Limerick city centre by 2028. RPS has been project consultant since 1999, leading our team through the route selection, preliminary design and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) phases leading to the granting of

permission to move forward. We have provided technical advice and assistance for the tender phase and provided technical advice, design review and contract monitoring services during the construction phase of the project. The project forms Phase 2 of the Limerick Southern Ring Road, connecting the Dublin (M7), Galway (N18), Cork (N20), Tralee (N21) and Waterford (N24) roads.

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Transport

We are leaders in transport planning and our teams work with clients to achieve sustainable and integrated travel and transport strategies.

Our experience includes strategic roads planning, site selection, design, procurement and oversight of roads projects up to motorway standard. Our services also cover pedestrian, cycleway and public transport.

We advise on all matters relating to transport – from national policy to detailed sustainable travel plans backed up by state of the art technical capability in traffic and transport modelling and the latest Intelligent Transport Solutions (ITS).

Waste Management

We are experts in developing waste management plans and in the planning and development of waste management services including recycling, recovery and disposal facilities, for public and private clients.

Our engineers and scientists are experienced in obtaining licences and consents for recycling and recovery facilities, waste to energy plants (anaerobic digestion and combustion plants) and landfill projects (both new and remediation schemes).

We provide full design services as well as procurement and supervision of construction.

Energy Management

We assist clients in the planning, design and delivery of a wide range of energy projects including:

n Electricity Networks

n Renewables

n Other fossil fuels

n Gas and Oil

n Nuclear

We provide a full range of services including:

n Strategy, Technology and Site Selection

n Planning and Consents

n EIA and Sustainability

n Masterplanning and design

n Construction and Operational Support

Our teams also carry out energy audits and assist clients to develop energy management plans for commercial and industrial enterprises.

Strategic Infrastructure Planning

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Ro-Ro Berth & Port Development, Loch Ryan PortRPS is providing consultancy services for the relocation of Stenaline’s Roll-on / Roll -off Ferry Terminal from Stranraer to Old House Point north of Cairnryan.

The relocation will be named “Loch Ryan Port” and will reduce crossing times by 20 minutes, adding to the crossing optimisation already made by its new VT4 Terminal in Belfast.

Our design team have completed the port planning, preliminary and detailed design stages of the project during which the port layout has been optimised to reduce vessel turnaround times for Stenaline. We also administered the procurement process using the NEC3 Option A Contract.

The Port presented significant challenges ranging from complex geotechnics and design including the discovery of WWII unexploded ordinance and remediation of asbestos landfill and Japanese Knotweed.

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Our approach focuses on thorough research and creative design and is combined with the expertise of our planners to ensure our solutions meet the needs of our clients, the local community and the local authority.

We provide a wide range of urban design services, with a creative and innovative approach to all stages of scheme development, from inception through consultation to implementation.

Our integrated in-house team of landscape and building architects, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and transport engineers ensure we provide high quality, innovative designs at all stages of scheme development.

We are involved with a number of landmark, sustainable building projects across a wide spectrum of sectors – many of which have won awards.

Masterplanning and Design


Ministry of Defence, SecureHigh Specification Office FacilityRPS provided architectural,engineering and highway designservices for this 100,000m2

high-spec, high security facility.

The building achieved a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating in line with the Governments agenda for sustainable development.

Constructed in the North-West, thisheavily serviced, 2-storey secure facilitycomprises research & developmentareas, offices, meeting room suites,control rooms, restaurant, overnight accommodation, vehicle maintenance unit and workshops.

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Selected Project Experience We deliver a diverse range of services to clients in a variety of sectors across the globe

Aviation

n Stansted Airport: Planning advisor and witness at Public Inquiry for BAA’s extension to use of exiting runway (G1) and for the proposed second runway (G2). Provided EIA services for all surface access proposals for G2.

n Dublin Airport: Engineering design and project management services for Terminal 1 Extension. EIS for new second runway. Extended aircraft apron parking facilities, the construction of a new taxiway, plus the reconstruction and widening of a number of existing taxiways, masterplanning of the airside drainage strategy and the installation of the drainage attenuation and pollution control facilities.

n Derry Airport: Design and project management of airport safety works.

Commercial

n Vodafone Contact and Regional Centre: Workspace design for a landmark office including planning, landscape and acoustics advice throughout the project.

n Routeco Offices: Commissioned to design a newbuild facility to fully integrate with existing buildings on a business park. It achieved a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’ exceeding the target rating of ‘Good’.

n Snow Hill: Detailed design of mechanical and electrical services.

Conservation

n Environmental Agency Ecological Services Framework: Appointed to the framework to deliver specialist freshwater ecological surveys, ecological assessments and to report on findings. We also provide training and support services to the Agency.

n Hensol Castle: Secured planning permission and Listed Building Consent for conversion and re-use as a luxury hotel and spa, residential apartments and a holiday village. EIA, including planning and transportation input, and ecological, landscape and visual and archaeological assessments, the latter including archaeology, built heritage and historic landscape.

n Scottish and Southern Energy Forest Assessment: Detailed harvesting plan for wind farm development.

Dublin Airport Vodafone Contact and Regional Centre Hensol Castle

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Defence

n HMP Wellingborough: Transportation and highways advice and consultation support.

n RAF Lakenheath: Co-ordinated outline planning application including a planning statement, transport statement, workplace travel plan, noise report, ecological report, and lighting, utilities and energy statement for the client.

n AWE Aldermaston: Provided a mix of planning, EIA preparation and co-ordination, transport, masterplanning and landscape advice for the implementation of a 10 year programme of investment.

Distribution and Logistics

n L’Oreal National Distribution Centre: Architectural, civil and structural engineering consultancy services.

n Ledbury Oil Distribution Depot: Environmental Statement and planning application for the depot.

n B&Q Distribution Centre: Architectural design and masterplanning services.

Education

n Prudhoe Highfield Middle School: Mechanical and electrical engineering services designed to allow maximum flexibility within the facility whilst maintaining strict environmental and service requirements.

n University of Reading: Environmental, Masterplan, Transport and Highways advice for comprehensive range of developments both on and off the the main campus. Reporting includes Environmental Constraints Report, Transport Assessments and Travel Plans assessing the traffic and travel impacts and proposing mitigation as well as providing a supervisory service to ensure the species protection on site as well as monitoring the implementation of the Construction Environmental Management Plan.

n Wolverhampton College: Mechanical and electrical engineering services for the development of a new nursery, sports and construction blocks.

B&Q Distribution Centre University of ReadingAWE Aldermaston

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Energy

n Hinkley Point: Strategic planning advice, sustainability appraisal and health impact assessment.

n Pembroke CCGT Power Station: Environmental and marine support studies for section 36 consent for RWE npower.

n Corrib Onshore Gas Pipeline: Reconfigured a new route having regard to considerations of planning, engineering, environmental and local stakeholder communications.

Healthcare

n South West Acute Hospital: Structural and civil engineering services on this major PFI scheme.

n Birmingham’s Children Hospital, Burn Centre: Designed a new shell for the children’s hospital creating a new landmark in Birmingham.

n North Tees and Hartlepool Hospital OBC: Mechanical and electrical engineering services for the development.

Leisure, Recreation and Tourism

n Birmingham Aquatic and Leisure Centre: Acoustics, air quality, arboriculture, archaeology, ecology, hydrology, flood risk, landscape design, planning, sustainability and transport matters for the development of a community sports and swimming complex. Our team prepared a planning application and Environmental Assessment for the client.

n Goonhavern Pines Resort: Secured planning permission and provided masterplanning, landscape, transport and ecology expertise.

n Black Country Living Museum: Mechanical and electrical services for building reconstruction.

Birmingham Aquatic and Leisure CentreCorrib Onshore Gas Pipeline North Tees and Hartlepool Hospital OBC

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Manufacturing

n Gerber: Design services for a food and manufacturing facility.

n Isleport Foods: Architectural design and CDM Co-ordinator services.

n Allied Bakeries: Architecture, planning and transport services for facilities extension.

Regeneration

n Titanic Quarter, Belfast: Masterplanning and detailed design. Transportation, civil and structural engineering input to the project.

n Inner Harbour, Cardiff: Reviewed the Development Framework for the Harbour, including capacity analyses and produced the Design Framework, securing planning permissions for the office development plus other ancillary land uses.

n Southend Pier Regeneration: Ecology and ornithology services for a development in a Special Protection Area.

Renewable Energy

n Thetford Biomass Power Plant: Planning, design, environment and ecology support.

n London Array Offshore Windfarm: Environmental Statement involving the integration of numerous environmental studies and associated consultations. Project management and a number of onshore and offshore surveys.

n Irish-Scottish Links Energy Study: Examining the feasibility of constructing an offshore grid linking Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. The study examines the potential to connect wind, wave and tidal energy sites located over a large geographical area.

n Ballindalloch Muir Windfarm: Produced the Environmental Statement and completed the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment.

Gerber Inner Harbour Irish-Scottish Links Energy Study

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Residential

n Kings Cross Central: Co-ordinated the EIA and accompanying Environmental Statement, Environmental Sustainability Strategy and Code of Construction Practice for this residential development. We also provided specialist input relating to nature conservation, heritage, townscape and waste management.

n Wolverton Park: Architecture, planning, mechanical & engineering services. We responded to expressions of concern from the local community, prepared a design and access statement and provided support with Section 106 negotiations and a detailed planning application.

Retail

n West Cornwall Shopping Park: Secured planning permission and provided design services.

n IKEA, Belfast: Planning, retail and highways advice and co-ordinated the Environmental Statement in relation to a planning application.

n New Retail Quarter, Sheffield: Acoustics, air quality, archaeology, contaminated land and planning services.

Waste

n Donarbon: Planning, architectural, structural and civil engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering designs and CDM-C services for the revolutionary Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT).

n Scottish Power Generation Ltd: Co-ordinated the EIA for a 135-145,000 TPA Biomass Power Station.

n Greyhound Recycling & Recovery Ltd:

Design and preparation of planning application, waste licence application and Environmental Statement.

Wolverton Park West Cornwall Shopping Park Donarbon

Image courtesy of Donarbon & Cambridgeshire County Council


News International Project HAL

RPS was appointed as architect and lead consultant for the masterplans, concept designs and detailed designs for News International Ltd’s (NIL) new print facility.

The team worked collaboratively with NIL’s process engineering team to custom design the facility to house six highly automated, full colour broadsheet printing presses (twelve tabloid presses). The facility is operational 24-hours a

day, 7-days a week and employs up to 360 people.

The new print facility has a gross internal floor area of 67,000m2 over four floors and incorporates associated offices, goods in/dispatch area, storage and welfare facilities. The 15.5ha site also has a separate batching/packaging facility, a new electricity substation, standby generators; sprinkler tanks/dampening water tanks

and pumphouse.

The facility operates primarily at night and required significant noise assessment and innovative solutions to minimise emissions and the building envelope was sympathetically designed specifically around the 30m high press hall to minimise the impact on the surrounding area and residents.

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AAcoustics, Noise & Vibration Affordable HousingAgriculture Land Use Assessment Air Quality & OdourAnaerobic DigestionAppeal Representation & Public Inquiry Arboriculture ArchaeologyArchitectureAsbestos Surveys

BBREEAM Building Services Engineering

CCAD/3D ModellingCivil EngineeringClimate Change & Policy Coastal Engineering & Management Communication Training & Stakeholder EngagementComputer Graphics & Modelling Construction Design & Management Co-ordination of CDM-CConstruction Phase ManagementContaminated LandCultural Heritage

DDefence Development Planning Design & Access StatementsDue DiligenceDynamic Thermal Modelling

EEcologyEcological Impact AssessmentElectrical Engineering Engineering Asset Management Environmental Impact Assessment Environmental Management SystemsEnvironmental Permitting Expert Witness

FFire EngineeringFlood Risk Management

GGeographical Information SystemsGeotechnicsGraphic DesignGround Engineering & Risk Ground Water Management

HHabitats Directive Assessment Health Impact AssessmentHighways & InfrastructureHistoric Environment Human Health Risk AssessmentHydrogeologyHydrology

IIntegrated Pollution Prevention & Control Directive ComplianceIPC & s.37 Consenting Regimes

JJapanese Knotweed, Giant Hogweed & other Invasive Weeds

LLand RemediationLand SurveyingLandscape ArchitectureLandscape Management Landscape Planning & Visual Impact AssessmentLift & Escalator EngineeringLNG StorageLow Carbon Consultants

MMarine EcologyMarine EnvironmentMasterplanningMechanical Engineering

OOnshore & Offshore Engineering

PParty WallPhotomontage & Wireline Assessment Ports & Harbour Design Project Management

RRadiation Protection Radioactive Waste Assessment Retail Impact AssessmentRetail PlanningRiver Engineering

SSite Investigations Site Waste Management PlansStrategic Environmental Assessment Structural Engineering SurveysSustainable Design

TTown & Country PlanningTraffic & Parking Management Transport AssessmentTransport PlanningTravel Plans

UUrban Design

WWaste, Energy & MineralsWaste Management Waste PlanningWaste Water & DrainageWater Quality Water Strategy & RegulationWaterfront Development & Marinas

A - Z of Planning & Development

rpsgroup.com/planninganddevelopment

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Our offices

Offices across the UK:

Offices across Ireland:

For more information:

Tel: 0121 213 5500

or visit www.rpsgroup.com/

planninganddevelopment

nLondon

nManchester

nMilton Keynes

nNewark

nNewbury

nNewcastle

nOxford

nSouthampton

nSwindon

nWolverhampton

n Belfast

n Birmingham

nBrighton

nBristol

nCambridge

nCardiff

nChepstow

nEdinburgh

nGlasgow

nLeeds

n Cork

n Dublin

n Galway

http://rpsgroup.com/planninganddevelopment

http://www.rpsgroup.com/

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