Stantec is set to acquire Barton Willmore as the firm seeks to expand its expertise in the UK.

Both firms are partners with UK Property Forums’ Eastern Echo journal.

Barton Willmore was established in 1936 and is the largest independent inter-disciplinary firm in the UK with over 300 town planners, master planners, urban and landscape designers, architects and environmental planners across the UK.

The firm has offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Kings Hill, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle, and Southampton and its head offices in Reading.

Barton Willmore is currently working on a number of schemes across the UK, including the delivery of Linmere New Community in Bedfordshire, a 5,000 home scheme with a school and community centre, and helping Bristol Zoo maximise underused land by planning and designing a residential development in Clifton.

The firm is also involved in the regeneration of Birkenhead town centre and is guiding proposals for the delivery of 10,800 new homes over 15 years at Barking Riverside.

Cath Schefer, Stantec’s chief operating officer, global, said: “Barton Willmore and Stantec share a passion and commitment to delivering sustainable, dynamic projects that improve communities. It’s incredibly exciting to welcome Barton Willmore to our growing global team as we look to strengthen our project delivery expertise across several sectors. Barton Willmore’s master planning and urban design capabilities greatly enhance our ability to drive innovative solutions for clients across the globe.”

Iain Painting, senior partner at Barton Willmore, said: “Both Stantec and Barton Willmore are passionate about drawing on our shared expertise to deliver sustainable and lasting projects that improve communities around the world. By combining our respective technical and creative capabilities, plus our extensive collective strategic understanding, we believe we can deliver a real step-change to the UK market.”

The proposed deal is the most recent in a series of acquisitions by Stantec in the UK market over the past few years, including that of Peter Brett Associates and ESI Consulting. On completion of the Barton Willmore deal, Stantec will have a team of more than 2,500 across the UK.

It is anticipated the transaction will close in early April. Financial details have not been disclosed.

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