Planning & Development

We remain leaders in this market in the UK, Ireland and Western Australia, operating for blue chip clients in both the public and private sectors. These businesses all performed well in 2007 and have ambitious plans for 2008; in part these are built upon the increasing requirement for all new development to be sustainable.

In the UK our ability to advise upon the full range of issues relevant to the development of sustainable communities and secure planning permission for large complex schemes remains attractive to clients. In consequence, we continue to work on some of the UK's largest regeneration and infrastructure projects. Our ability to handle complex sustainability issues helps us to secure this work and execute it at the high level needed to secure the permissions needed by our clients. We are also involved in both the waste and minerals sectors, in which securing planning permission has become far more complex. Our relationships with the UK's largest housebuilders remain good, as they continue to seek to add to the value of their land banks.

Our planning business is also able to assist clients in other parts of the Group secure planning permissions for capital projects, for example, in the energy and water sectors. The UK Government has recently confirmed its support for the construction of a new generation of nuclear power stations. We are already active in this market and are anticipating a significant involvement in the process of securing the permissions necessary before these new facilities can be constructed; this would provide work over a number of years.

The Irish Government continues to invest in ambitious plans for the infrastructure development made necessary by the economic growth already experienced and that anticipated. The National Development Plan 2007- 2013 targets “Economic Infrastructure” as its main priority, with €54.6bn identified for expenditure on roads, public transport, water, airports and energy infrastructure. We benefit significantly from this investment. Our work in the private sector in Ireland also remains buoyant, as economic investment follows this public expenditure.