Firm has big plans for its new recruits

A Belfast-based planning consultancy is marking its first anniversary by growing its workforce and securing multi-million pound projects.
 
Clyde Shanks, has won a range of major residential and commercial contracts, including preparing Northern Ireland’s largest biogas anaerobic digestion (AD) plant for planning – a £30million facility at Lisahally Port.
 
The company has also just helped Gaelectric to secure planning permission for its £36m wind farm proposals at Smulgedon, near Dungiven, and Monnaboy, near Eglinton, and is working on other projects in the renewable energy, waste, leisure, liquor licensing, commercial, and residential sectors.
 
The company’s latest recruits are senior planner Stephanie Hughes and planner Clare Jackson.
 
Founder and managing director, Clyde Shanks, says that the company is experiencing significant growth.
 
“Our renewable energy work in particular is growing – we’re advising commercial wind farm developers, volume single turbine developers and single turbine applicants. In total we’re advising on over 150MW of wind energy infrastructure, enough to power over 100,000 homes,” he said.
 
“Waste-related work is also an expanding area, and we are active on a number of challenging projects across Northern Ireland.
 
“We’re involved in a range of other significant projects, including advising the RUAS on their move to the Maze/Long Kesh site and negotiating permission for the new show grounds to facilitate the Balmoral Show in May 2013.
 
“We’ve had a very pleasing first year and have built a strong client portfolio. Our focus in the next 12 months will be on building on that by reinforcing our presence and impact in the marketplace.”
 
Further information on the services offered by Clyde Shanks Planning Consultancy is available at: www.clydeshanks.com.
 
Clyde Shanks was previously Director of Planning at the Belfast office of Turley Associates since 2005. He has been working in planning in Northern Ireland since 1999, having previously worked in a number of roles in London.
 
The other members of the company’s team are: Associates Gavin Rolston and Thomas Bell, Senior Planner Stephanie Hughes and Planner Clare Jackson.