Consultant buys another firm as it looks to cement top three status

Paul Hamer

WYG has bought consultant Signet Planning for 拢3.7m.

WYG said the acquisition, made by subsidiary WYG Environment Planning Transport Ltd, would cement its position as a top three planning consultant in the UK.

Signet Planning posted revenue of 拢3.5m in the year to 31 March 2015, and a pre-tax profit of 拢700,000.

The 37-strong firm was established in Harrogate in 2005 by Simon Chadwick, James Hobson and Ian Rowe.

Signet Planning also has offices in London, Manchester, Newcastle and Nottingham, and is targeting growth in the London commercial development market, as well as opportunities from the government鈥檚 Northern Powerhouse programme.

Commenting on the acquisition, WYG chief executive officer Paul Hamer (pictured) said: 鈥淲e are delighted to be joined by Simon Chadwick, and his colleagues in Signet Planning. We are confident that they will be a significant enhancement to WYG鈥檚 planning and urban and landscape design capabilities.

鈥淔ollowing our recent acquisitions of Alliance Planning, FMW Consultancy and North Associates, we now have more than 140 planning specialists representing the third largest team in the UK.

鈥淭his leading market position leaves us well placed to take advantage of the strong demand we expect for these specialist skills within a buoyant UK market for property and infrastructure development.鈥�

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