The Planning and Compulsory Purchase team from independent UK law firm Burges Salmon has been shortlisted for ‘Legal Firm of the Year’ in the Civil Engineering Service Leader category at the New Civil Engineer Awards (NCE) 2023.
In January 2023, NCE launched these brand new awards with a view to celebrating the best of the best amongst civil engineering consultancies in the UK and to recognise businesses – both large and small – that are industry leaders and delivering real change to make the sector a better place to work. The awards will also throw a spotlight on the service providers that offer business support to civil engineering consultancies and are helping them to grow and thrive. These include legal firms, financial services providers, insurance providers, recruitment solutions firms and technology solution providers.
The Legal Firm of the Year award recognises and celebrates a legal firm or division that has provided outstanding services for the construction and civil engineering industry during the previous 12 months. Successful entrants were challenged to demonstrate how they have helped consultants or clients within the engineering and construction sector.
Burges Salmon’s Planning and Compulsory Purchase team has received this shortlisting for advising National Highways on the highly-sensitive A417 Missing Link Scheme in Gloucestershire to secure a vital Development Consent Order. This section of road experiences ongoing congestion, delays, poor journey times and a poor safety record. National Highways’ objective of maintaining the smooth flow of traffic, making the network safer and supporting economic growth was made possible through Burges Salmon’s advice, which saw the firm lead it through its pre-examination phase, and the examination by the Planning Inspectorate.
As National Highways Project Director for the A417 Missing Link, Mike Goddard, notes: "Burges Salmon embedded its expert team into the integrated project team, working collaboratively with consultants and its client during the preparation and examination of the A417 Missing Link's Development Consent Order. They demonstrated commitment to the project's 'landscape-led highway scheme' vision, providing insight and solutions to consenting matters that kept the AONB central to our decision-making.”
Alex Minhinick, a partner in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase team at Burges Salmon, adds: “NCE launched these new awards at the beginning of this year and we’re therefore extremely proud that the team has been recognised in this category for advising our client on this environmentally sensitive, complex and important project.”
The New Civil Engineer Awards 2023 will take place on 20 September at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.