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As the UK and Ireland continue their transition to clean energy, the demand for robust Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) has never been greater.
From large‑scale onshore wind schemes to wider renewable infrastructure, planners, developers and environmental specialists rely on high‑quality LVIA to enable informed, evidence‑based decisions and to ensure that new projects are designed responsibly and sensitively.
As a leading environmental consultancy, APEM Group is committed to advancing excellence in this vital discipline. Through the specialist LVIA expertise of Macro Works, the Group is helping set new standards in landscape and visual assessment while strengthening industry capability across the renewables sector.
Supporting the Future of Renewable Infrastructure
Renewable energy infrastructure – particularly onshore wind – requires a detailed understanding of landscape character, visual amenity and cumulative effects. LVIA plays a central role in this process, ensuring developments are appropriately sited and aligned with national policy, planning requirements and community expectations.
As onshore wind expands across the UK and Ireland, there is increasing scrutiny on how turbines interact with valued landscapes, designated areas, settlements and key viewpoints.
High‑quality LVIA supports decision‑makers by providing clarity on:
- The extent and reach of visual influence
- How turbine design and placement affect landscape character
- Opportunities for mitigation and design refinement
- Cumulative effects alongside existing and consented projects
APEM Group’s LVIA specialists bring decades of experience across all stages of onshore wind development – from feasibility and constraints mapping through to examination and consent – helping clients navigate complex visual and landscape considerations with confidence.
Strengthening Industry Capability Through Skills Development
The rapid expansion of renewable energy has driven growing demand for skilled LVIA practitioners, and APEM Group is supporting this by supporting Europe’s first accredited Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment micro‑credential, developed by Green Tech Skillnet and the University of Limerick.
Macro Works helped shape the programme’s technical content, drawing on over 20 years of LVIA expertise, and will also contribute to teaching to provide learners with practical insights from major renewable projects. The micro‑credential equips professionals with core skills including GLVIA‑aligned assessment, GIS and remote sensing, receptor analysis, mitigation development and the delivery of planning‑ready LVIA outputs, helping build the talent pipeline needed to support the sector’s long‑term growth.
Shaping a Low‑Carbon Future
As renewable energy deployment accelerates, LVIA remains a cornerstone of responsible infrastructure development. APEM Group, supported by Macro Works’ specialist experience, is committed to advancing the professional standards of landscape and visual assessment.
Richard Barker, Divisional Director, Macro Works, commented:
“Renewable energy developers are beginning to realise the value of involving LVIA specialists in their projects at an early stage to aid collaborative macro‑level mitigation in the form of siting and design. They now see LVIA as a critical part of an iterative design‑led process, rather than just the end product of an LVIA chapter or report.”
By raising LVIA capability across the industry, investing in skills and innovation, and supporting evidence‑driven decision‑making, the Group is helping ensure that onshore wind and wider renewables can expand in ways that are environmentally responsible, visually sensitive and aligned with the needs of landscapes and communities across the UK and Ireland.
An Integrated Approach Across APEM Group
APEM Group’s strength lies in its integrated approach. The LVIA expertise of Macro Works is complemented by the Group’s wider technical and digital capabilities, enabling a comprehensive service offering that supports renewable energy development from end to end. This multidisciplinary model ensures:
High‑quality assessment across ecology, hydrology, geospatial analysis and planning
Precise visualisation and modelling using advanced digital tools
Consistent quality assurance grounded in recognised standards
Seamless project support from scoping through to post‑consent monitoring
For onshore wind developers, this integration translates into more streamlined pathways to consent and more resilient project designs that work with – not against – the landscape.
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