Arcadis has bought Birmingham-based town planning firm Brooke Smith Planning.
The niche firm has been led by former RICS global president Louise Brooke-Smith, who will join Arcadis as UK head of town planning and head of social value.
The expanded team will operate across Arcadis’s markets, working with clients in assessing the development potential of their landed assets, national policy and local plan making. The team will also help clients with the planning and development management process, appeals, high court action and judicial reviews.
Brooke-Smith will lead the planning capabilities across the UK as well as head the Arcadis social value client offering. The newly created service will look at how businesses across the country can further improve quality of life for their clients, their people and the communities they serve.
Brooke-Smith said: “The devolution agenda, and all that it brings with it, has only increased the need for the very best when it comes to land use planning and development advice. Joining Arcadis at this key time means that we are able to offer the very best to both the nation’s businesses and the communities they serve.
“Moving across in the additional capacity of leading the firm’s social value capabilities is a clear signal of intent that Arcadis sees improving communities as a core area of work. Given the appetite and clear business case for inclusivity, the speed of change across construction, the impact of ‘big data’ and social needs in terms of housing and infrastructure, this will be central to the future of the built environment sector.”
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