introducing open optimised environments
urban design landscape architecture masterplanning environmental planning Optimised Environments Limited or “OPEN” is a multi-disciplinary design company with masterplanning, urban design, landscape architecture and environmental planning at its core. The professionals who work in the OPEN studio have a vast depth of experience in the design and planning of the built environment, having worked on all scales of projects throughout the United Kingdom and around the world. OPEN are interested in projects that are challenging and significant in their own right, covering the widest range of scales, from tight urban situations to those dealing with regional landscape issues. Therefore the significance of a project is not measured by size, but by its potential impact on the people that experience it and its environment. introducing open... OPEN’s core disciplines include: Masterplanning Landscape Architecture Environmental Planning Urban Design
These core disciplines are in turn supported by a range of complementary services that are provided within the OPEN studio including:
Architecture Landscape Planning Landscape and Visual Assessment Public Consultation Expert Witness GIS 3D Visualisation Graphic Design James Welch James is a Landscape Architect and Environmental Planner. He people is a founding Director of Optimised Environments Limited. Before establishing OPEN in 2009, James was Managing Principal and Vice President of EDAW plc, part of the AECOM group of companies. He managed EDAW’s Edinburgh office from 2004-2009. Prior to that he was a main board Director of Lovejoy and headed up their Edinburgh office from 1992-2004.
The main focus of James’ work is landscape / environmental planning and he advises clients across the full development spectrum on all aspects of site planning and landscape capacity for development. While his experience includes the design and implementation of major landscape projects, including Euro Disneyland, he has particular and extensive experience in the field of landscape and visual impact assessment, related to housing, commercial, infrastructure and energy generation projects.
Pol Macdonald It is the passion and experience of the people at Pol has qualifications in both architecture and landscape architecture. He is a founding Director of Optimised Environments Limited. Before OPEN that allows us to bring a fresh approach to establishing OPEN in 2009, Pol was a Principal of the global design a wide range of projects. OPEN currently have a practice EDAW plc, part of the AECOM group of companies. He is also an active Enabler with Architecture and Design Scotland, set up by dedicated team of 30 specialising in core design the Scottish Government to inspire better quality design in the built disciplines, which brings a valuable set of skills to environment. Pol’s project experience includes masterplanning, urban design and the placemaking projects we work on. regeneration, landscape architecture and involvement in environmental assessment, especially landscape / townscape and visual impact. Pol’s role is as a design team / project leader, ensuring the coordination between disciplines both within the OPEN studio and also of other consultants. His recent experience has seen him develop major master planning, urban design and regeneration projects throughout the UK and abroad, from a large scale conceptual urban approaches to detail design and implementation.
Lynda Thomson Prior to joining OPEN in 2009 Lynda was a Senior Director at AECOM Design + Planning (formerly EDAW plc). She worked there for five years from the time when EDAW bought the business of Lovejoy (Scotland) Ltd, her employer since 1997. Prior to that she had gained experience in both the private and public sectors.
Lynda has been involved in a wide range of projects from the construction of the Urquhart Castle Visitor Centre to the landscape design input to the Winchburgh Future Expansion Master Plan. More recently she has concentrated predominantly on the planning and assessment of large scale proposals such as utilities infrastructure, headquarters and new settlements. This has included the determination of the landscape capacity for future development, landscape and visual impact assessment (LVIA) and productions for planning inquiries. people
Alastair Haigh Amy Harley-Jepson Anna Webster Ben Palmer Christopher Gray Dan Roebuck
Diane Flett Dominic Cifelli Iain Macsween Ian Logan Jo Phillips Karen Esslemont
Lisa Anderson Liz Thomas Lorna MacKenzie Lynette Thomson Mark Swithenbank Nick Tolley
Pablo Lombardo Paul Boland Simon Martin Stuart Forteath Tricia Ryan introducing open company structure
Owner managed company, 100% owned by company Directors and employees
Optimised Environments Ltd (OPEN)
James Welch Pol MacDonald Lynda Thomson Paul Boland Director Director Director Director (environmental (urban design (environmental (Business Manager) planning) / landscape planning / master architecture) planning)
Professional staff (21 no.)
introducing open edinburgh
introducing open london
introducing open project experience
1990 power stations
2000 gas storage onshore wind
2010 offshore wind wave & hydro-electric wind energy
OPEN is a multi-disciplinary design company based in Edinburgh with master Many of the windfarm sites have been in sensitive locations such as Cruach planning, urban design, landscape architecture and environmental planning Mhor in Argyll & Bute and Wether Hill in Dumfries and Galloway. Some of as our core disciplines. our projects have been located in sensitive areas and this has meant that
OPEN was founded in 2009 by James Welch and Pol MacDonald who were our landscape capacity and design led approach has been important to the previously Principals of the global design and planning practice EDAW plc. positive outcome of the applications. Ultimately, our approach has been James and Pol are now supported at the Director level by Lynda Thomson shaped by our experience at Inquiry. We are acutely aware of the need for and Paul Boland (Company Secretary). The 30 person practice they have a robust and defensible LVIA and are confident to defend our work at the established (and with a small office now in London) is highly skilled in the highest level. Our starting point is to understand the site, in three dimensions. design and planning of urban and rural environments. Many of the OPEN A thorough appreciation of the site at the outset, including its character and team have worked together for over 15 years as part of different practices. visual qualities, reveals the development capacity and allows us to play an active role in helping our clients to determine an appropriate layout for their Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment development. The team at OPEN has gained a considerable level of knowledge of We are finding that new sites are becoming increasingly more complex in the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) of energy related terms of their constraints and this is involving us in a great deal of early stage developments and are specialists in this field. This has, over the past 15-20 project work where we are able to advise clients of the likely feasibility of years, included gas fired power stations, transmission grid, on and offshore projects from a landscape and visual perspective. wind and hydro projects across the UK. This has involved the development of supporting GIS and visualisation skills to assist in the evolution of the project Please contact our Directors James Welch or Lynda Thomson if you are design and to enable the public and consultees to understand the effects of interested in finding out more about any of the services we provide. the development. [email protected] Onshore and Offshore Wind [email protected] Through the experience of its landscape planning staff, OPEN inherits a significant pedigree in the preparation of LVIA for windfarms. The team has Optimised Environments Ltd collectively carried out the LVIAs for over 50 wind farms since 1998, working 6th Floor, 24 Torphichen Street with many of the major renewable energy companies across the UK, including Edinburgh ScottishPower Renewables; SSER/ Airtricity; NUON; E-ON and npower, among EH3 8JB others. James also brings with him over ten years of experience as an Inquiry T: 0131 221 5920 Witness, having presented evidence at over 50 Public Inquiries and Hearings, many for renewable energy projects. W: optimisedenvironments.com
Staff now at OPEN were involved in some of the first renewables projects to be built – at Novar Estate and Beinn Ghlas and some of the largest to be consented – Black Law and Kilgallioch. We also have experience of the assessments required for sites as small as a single turbine and for windfarm extensions such as those for Whitelee (Phases 1, 2 and 3), Hagshaw Hill, Beinn an Tuirc and Hare Hill. More recently we have worked with MORL to prepare the Seascape Landscape and Visual Assessment (SLVIA) for its Moray Offshore Windfarm and with ScottishPower Renewables on its Argyll Array Offshore Windfarm.
introducing open clients
ScottishPower RenewablesInfinis Partnership for Renewables Scottish & Southern Energy› Lomond Energy › Banks Group E-ON› 2020 UK Renewables Ltd › EDP Renewables › Infinergy › Ridge Wind › WindJen Ltd› PM Renewables › RES › Aquamarine Power › Enel de viento › REG Windpower › PNE Wind EIA consultants
› RPS › Jacobs › Arcus Renewables› AECOM › Atkins › Xodus› Engena Group › WSP› Dulas › URS › Land Use Consultants › Environ LVIA experience SLVIA Projects 2011-2012 Moray Offshore Wind Farm EDP Renewables (MORL) Argyll Array Offshore Wind Farm ScottishPower Renewables Outshore Point Tidal Project Aquamarine Power/SSE Renewables LVIA Projects 2009-2012 LVIAs for over 50 onshore West Browncastle Wind Farm, Coriolis Limited Spurlens Rig Wind Farm, Scottish Borders Lomond Energy Craigannet Wind Farm, Lomond Energy windfarms in the past 16 years Allt Dearg Wind Farm, Argyll Lomond Energy/ Ormsary Estate Glenmorie Wind Farm, Highlands Wind Energy Limited Earlshaugh Wind Farm Review, Borders Wind Energy Limited Coal Clough Wind Farm, Lancashire ScottishPower Renewables Dyfnant Forest LVIA review, Wales ScottishPower Renewables Halsary Wind Farm, Highlands ScottishPower Renewables Black Law Extension 2, North Lanarkshire ScottishPower Renewables East Kingswell Wind Farm, East Ayrshire ScottishPower Renewables Neslam Wind Farm Review, Lincolnshire ScottishPower Renewables Dersalloch Wind Farm, South Ayrshire ScottishPower Renewables Kilgallioch Wind Farm, East Ayrshire ScottishPower Renewables Holbeach Wind Farm Review, Lincolnshire ScottishPower Renewables Birniehill Wind Farm, North Lanarkshire SSE Renewables Bransford Bridge Wind Farm SSE Renewables Bracco Wind Farm, North Lanarkshire SSE Renewables Viking Wind Farm Review, Shetland SSE Renewables Cour Wind Farm, Argyll SSE Renewables Dalnessie Wind Farm, Highlands SSE Renewables Balmacaan Wind Farm, Highlands SSE Renewables Easter Tulloch Wind Farm, Angus Engena Limited Carlton on Trent Wind Turbine, Nottingham Engena Limited Over Blairhill Wind Turbine, Perthshire Matthew Pease Grant Wind Turbine, Dumfries & Galloway Rodger Grant The A1 Wind Farm, County Durham E-ON Byram Wind Farm, Selby District E-ON Binneun Wind Farm, Highlands Ridgewind Limited Hill of Fishrie Wind Farm, Aberdeenshire Infinis Gordonstown Extension, Aberdeenshire Infinis Musdale Wind Farm, Argyll & Bute Infinis Sisters Wind Farm Review, Lincolnshire Infinis Mark Farm Wind Farm, Dumfries & Galloway Infinis Wingate Grange Wind Farm, County Durham Infinis Quixwood Moor Wind Farm, Scottish Borders BANKS Group Harburnhead Wind Farm, West Lothian Enel de Viento Tibberchindy Wind Farm, Aberdeenshire Infinis Glencassley Wind Farm, Highland SSE Renewables Skirts of Foudland Wind Farm, Aberdeenshire Infinis Whitelee Extensions Phases 2 and 3 ScottishPower Renewables Clyde Extension Wind Farm SSE Renewables Wind Farm Feasibility Studies 2009-2012 Lincolnshire SSE Renewables Cambridgeshire SSE Renewables Scottish Borders Infinis North Yorkshire ScottishPower Renewables Northumberland ScottishPower Renewables Dumfries & Galloway ScottishPower Renewables Dumfries & Galloway Infinis Argyll & Bute Infinergy Sutherland 2020 Renewables Skye 2020 Renewables Aberdeenshire Infinis North Yorkshire Ridge Wind Limited South Ayrshire SSE Renewables Scotland/ North of England (various) PNE Wind Scotland (various) Partnership for Renewables LVIA Peer Review Inquiry experience Inquiry Counsel/Advocate Date Minerva plc East Dunbartonshire (LPI) Ailsa Wilson Nov 1998 J Sainsbury Dumfries (Call-In) Patrick Hodge QC Dec 1998 InterGen Gas Storage Facility (Appeal) Bill Hicks QC Feb 1999 Hallam Land East Lothian (LPI) Andrew Robinson March 1999 Greywalls Hotel (Appeal) Andrew Robinson March 1999 Tesco Kelso (Appeal) Martin Kingston QC April 1999 presented evidence at over 50 J Dickie Homes East Lothian (LPI) Andrew Robinson April 1999 Blue Circle Dunbar East Lothian (LPI) Andrew Robinson April 1999 Wimpey Homes Wishaw (Appeal) Ian Abercrombie QC June 1999 Public Inquiries and Hearings Bryant Homes Bridge of Earn (LPI) Bruce Smith May 1999 Earl Mar SE Alloa (Appeal) Bruce Smith February 2000 Bryant Homes Doonfoot Ayr (Appeal) Colin Innes September 2000 Shawford Park Stables (Appeal) Michael Fitzgerald QC November 2000 McDonalds Straiton Midlothian Gordon Steele QC December 2000 Safeway Stores Ltd Aberdeen Colin Campbell QC March 2001 Dunbar Housing Appeal Colin Innes March 2001 Dumfries High Street Hearing Nicholas Gordon September 2001 Harvieston Farm Midlothian LPI Neil Collar October 2001 Moorfield Kilmarnock LPI Ian Abercrombie QC December 2001 Meggetland Residential Appeal Ian Abercrombie QC May 2002 East Renfrewshire LPI Menzies Campbell QC September 2002 East Renfrewshire LPI Colin Innes September 2002 Dalmunzie Road Residential Appeal Colin Innes August 2002 Byley Gas Storage Project Bill Hicks QC November 2002 Shawfair LPI Roy Martin QC November 2002 Kinross Local Plan Inquiry Kenneth Carruthers June 2003 Cambusbarron Housing (PLI) Ewan MacLeod October 2003 Kippendavie Housing (PLI) Ewan MacLeod October 2003 White Hill Wind Farm Appeal Marcus Trinick November 2003 Braidfield Farm (PLI) Colin Innes November 2003 Holmston PLI Kenneth Carruthers October 2004 Hunterston Wind Farm Call-in Inquiry Marcus Trinick November 2004 Ravelrig, Balerno Hearing Colin Innes February 2005 Malleny Piggery Hearing Montagu Evans February 2005 Kirkton of Skene (PLI) Sandy Telfer January 2005 Allanbank, Lauder Call-in Inquiry Colin Innes December 2005 Calliachar Wind Farm Appeal Gordon Steele QC September 2006 Cardrona Village Expansion Hearin g Hearing/ No Legal Rep October 2006 SQ1 Employment Land Hearing Colin Innes October 2006 Bonnytoun Road Housing Hearing Hearing/ No Legal Rep November 2006 Clovenfords Housing Hearing Hearing/ No Legal Rep December 2006 Hardengreen Housing, Dalkeith (PLI) Hearing/ No Legal Rep May 2007 Mauricewood Housing, Penicuik (PLI) Neil Collar June 2007 Dalgety Bay Housing Appeal Ewan MacLeod November 2007 Sheriffmuir Employment Site Ewan MacLeod Withdrawn Lynemouth Wind Farm Hearing John Houghton April 2008 Prestonfield Golf Course Hearing Craig Wallace JLL November 2008 Drone Hill Wind Farm Gordon Steele QC August 2008 Dunion Hill Wind Farm Jeremy Pike January 2009 Dennyloanhead Hearing Ewan MacLeod March 2009 Reddingmuirhead Hearing Ewan MacLeod April 2009 Calliachar Wind Farm 3 Appeal Colin Innes April 2009 Poplar Lane Wind Farm Andrew Newcombe QC May 2009 Three Moors Wind Farm Ailsa Wilson QC June 2009 Newlands Wind Farm Vincent Fraser QC October 2009 Carland Cross Wind Farm Repowering John Houghton November 2009 Fewcott Wind Farm Paul Tucker QC March 2010 Dorenell Wind Farm Gordon Steele QC November 2010 Flood’s Ferry Wind Farm Andrew Newcombe QC February 2011 Aikengall 2 Wind Farm Paul Maile June 2011 Tom Nan Clach Wind Farm Martin Sales August 2011 Newlands Wind Turbine Paul Tucker QC May 2012
Written Representations Carlesgill Wind Farm Montagu Evans February 2002 Carlesgill Wind Farm Montagu Evans April 2004 Malletsheugh Housing Menzies Campbell QC August 2002 Meikle Carewe Wind Farm Wright Johnston Mackenzie December 2010 Broadmeadows Wind Farm Richard Glover December 2011 operational windfarms ...which OPEN staff have assessed
Wether Hill Novar Black Law Drummuir Drone Hill Whitelee Extension
Hagshaw Hill Extension Glens of Foudland Lynemouth Allt Dearg Artfield Fell Carland Cross
Causeymire Drumderg Black Hill Hadyard Hill Meikle Carewe Beinn Ghlas
Beinn an Tuirc Coal Clough Robin Rigg Greater Gabbard Robin Rigg introducing open power stations gas storage
Aldbrough Byley Whitehill onshore wind offshore wind wave & hydro-electric optimised environments ltd Level 6 | 24 Torphichen Street | Edinburgh | EH3 8JB t 0131 221 5920 | w optimisedenvironments.com
Optimised Environments Ltd. Registered in Scotland SC359690. Registered address: 24 Torphichen Street, 6th Floor, Edinburgh, EH3 8JB