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Consultant Ridge is eyeing a double digit hike in turnover this year with the firm this week snapping up Cheltenham planning consultant Hunter Page Planning.

The Oxford-based firm saw income in the year to December 2017 rise 11% to a record 拢52m on the back of strong performances in its healthcare, education, automotive and residential businesses. Profit was up from 拢7.3m to 拢9.5m.

And Ridge鈥檚 senior partner Adrian O鈥橦ickey said the 600-strong business was forecasting a bigger rise in income this year, with a 15% jump to 拢60m.

The firm now has 10 offices following the deal for Hunter Page which has a turnover of 拢2m and employs 20 people. O鈥橦ickey said Hunter Page鈥檚 managing director Paul Fong will become an equity partner at Ridge.

O鈥橦ickey said Hunter Page would be rebranded under the Ridge name and added: 鈥淲e鈥檝e got all these disciplines such as project management, engineering, cost management and architecture but planning is one area of additional service we could offer our clients.鈥�

The firm, which is set to move its 60 London staff in Southwark to a new office elsewhere in the borough at Valentine Place, carries out around 10% of its work in the capital where commercial office jobs and high-end residential schemes have slowed down in recent months.

O鈥橦ickey added: 鈥淟ondon is a different world. It will change for a bit if Brexit does its worst [but what鈥檚 happening now] is a bit of a correction. Three years ago everyone was complaining London was overheating but it couldn鈥檛 have kept going the way it was.鈥�

Ridge carries out work with a number of firms who have in recent weeks voiced concerns about a 鈥榥o deal鈥� Brexit including car giants Jaguar Land Rover and BMW.

O鈥橦ickey said: 鈥淚鈥檓 concerned that we鈥檙e not getting clarity [on Brexit]. A lack of confidence or clarity is going to undermine investment in the country. [But] I can worry all I like but we just have to deal with it.鈥�

Ridge has also appointed its first female equity partner, with Lucy Osborne, who works in Manchester and heads up its expert witness team on structural engineering, bringing the number of equity partners to 16.

Ridge recently completed work on a 拢23m overhaul of the RAF Museum (pictured) in Hendon, north London, to coincide with the RAF鈥檚 centenary this year.