17 March 2008
Capita Symonds has officially announced the acquisition
of land planning consultancy Lovejoy for an undisclosed
sum.
One of the largest international environmental, planning, urban
design and landscape architecture practices in the UK, Lovejoy will
now operate as Capita Lovejoy and will enhance Capita Symonds’
existing offering in the planning sector.
Established in 1959, Lovejoy comprises two offices, in London
and Birmingham, employing some 60 planners, landscape architects
and urban designers.
Previous work includes Disneyland Paris, Royal Ascot Racecourse,
Sheldon Square Paddington, the Canary Riverside Four Seasons Hotel
and residential development at London’s Canary Wharf, Port Marine
at Portishead in Bristol, and Bede Island and the City Living
Quarter in Leicester. Lovejoy is currently working on
numerous projects both in the public and private sector, throughout
the UK and abroad.
Current projects include:
Arecleoch Windfarm,
Scotland: Lead consultants for the preparation and
production of the Environmental Statement (ES) and EIA, and design
development of the windfarm layout comprising 60 135m-high
turbines;- Project Allenby Connaught: Lovejoy is acting
on all landscape matters as part of a multidisciplinary team for
Aspire Defence through a £8billion Private Finance Initiative (PFI)
Contract, as recommended during the Strategic Defence Review and
subsequent Government White Paper to modernise Britain’s Armed
Forces;
- Park City, Moscow: A 15 hectare mixed-use
development on the Russian capital’s riverfront featuring over 1600
luxury apartments, 85,000 sq m of office space 55,000 sq m of
retail and leisure space, including a series of new public plazas,
a central park and riverside gardens;
- Minthis Hills, Cyprus: A 485 hectare country
estate located in the rolling hills near Tsada for 600 luxury
villas, an 18-hole championship golf course and associated
restaurants, club and spa facilities;
- Stanton Cross, Wellingborough: Planning
application and detailed landscape and public realm proposals for
the 300 hectare mixed use development east of Wellingborough
comprising 3,000 homes and over 100 hectares of B1, B2, and B8 use
development;
- West Southall: An 83 acre masterplan, detailed
landscape and public realm proposals for the mixed-use
redevelopment of the former Southall Gas Works in London.
John Southgate, Executive Director, Capita
Symonds, said: “We are delighted to welcome Lovejoy to
Capita Symonds. Lovejoy is a highly respected practice with a
diverse portfolio and a wide range of clients. This acquisition
brings us over 60 highly creative new members of staff, led by a
team of talented directors that are undoubted experts in their
field.”
“Capita Symonds is constantly evolving and this acquisition
emphasises our commitment to developing key parts of our business
by bringing market-leading companies under the Capita Symonds wing,
allowing them to continue to grow and develop with the benefit of
our sound financial, business and strategic skills.”
David Blackwood Murray, Director, Lovejoy,
said: “Our project portfolio embraces a rich and varied
range of award-winning work and we regularly apply our planning,
environmental, urban and landscape design expertise to complex and
high profile work worldwide. We are delighted to be joining
Capita Symonds. We already have numerous mutual clients and this
deal is the perfect fit – enabling us to supplement its impressive
and diverse capabilities with a dedicated team of highly skilled
masterplanners, landscape architects and urban designers