CPD Training & Seminars

Continuing Professional Development for Planning & Development Teams

Practical, expert-led sessions delivered online — built for planners, developers, architects, engineers and QS teams who want to reduce risk, speed up approvals and get more from every scheme.

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Why Keep Your Team Current

Regular CPD, shared learning and cross-team collaboration pay for themselves many times over across a project's lifecycle.

Fewer Costly Surprises

Teams that understand risk early catch design and compliance issues before they become expensive site problems.

Faster Decisions

Shared knowledge across disciplines means less time re-explaining basics and more time solving the actual project.

Stronger Cross-Team Collaboration

Planners, QS, engineers and landscape architects who speak the same language coordinate better and argue less.

Better Client Confidence

Demonstrable CPD and up-to-date practice reassures clients and planning authorities that your team is current.

Improved Retention

Investment in training and development is consistently one of the strongest drivers of staff retention.

Consistent Standards

Regular training keeps site practice, reporting and compliance consistent as teams and projects scale.

Every Session

What's Included

Every course is prepared and shared with your team in advance, so time on the day is spent discussing your projects — not sitting through the basics.

Slide Deck

Full session slides, shared ahead of time

Video

Recorded briefing to prep your team

Questions Sheet

Discussion prompts for the live session

Data Gathering Survey

Short survey on your current practice

Diagnostics

A baseline read on your team's starting point

Once you enquire, we pair you with the member of our team best suited to your topic and sector — so the session is led by the right specialist, not just the next available trainer.

Course Catalogue

Available Courses

All prices shown are per session. Group discounts and bundled packages are available on enquiry.

CPD-101

SuDS Fundamentals

Sustainable drainage systems: principles, design and adoption

Half-day Online or in person £295 +

About This Session

The fundamentals of sustainable drainage, from component selection through to adoption, with particular emphasis on resolving drainage strategy early alongside GIS mapping, utility surveys and construction phase planning.

Modules

  • Principles of sustainable drainage 30 min
  • SuDS component types and design criteria 35 min
  • Early collaboration: GIS, utility surveys and construction phase planning 40 min
  • Adoption, maintenance and 30-year lifespan planning 35 min
  • Integrating SuDS into masterplans 40 min
RIBA alignment: Aligns with RIBA Stage 2 (Concept Design) and Stage 3 (Spatial Coordination), where drainage strategy should be resolved before technical design begins.

Learning Outcomes

  • Explain core SuDS principles and terminology
  • Select appropriate SuDS components for a site
  • Coordinate SuDS design early using GIS data and utility surveys
  • Understand adoption and long-term maintenance requirements
  • Identify SuDS opportunities within a masterplan

Interested in this course?

Half-day  ·  £295  ·  Online or in person

Enquire About This Course
CPD-102

Reducing Risk on Projects

Identifying and managing risk across the project lifecycle

Half-day Online or in person £295 +

About This Session

A practical look at where risk enters a project from concept through to construction, and how to build a risk register that actually gets used.

Modules

  • Identifying risk at each project stage 35 min
  • Common causes of planning refusal and rework 40 min
  • Risk registers and mitigation planning 40 min
  • Case studies of risk gone wrong and right 65 min

Learning Outcomes

  • Recognise risk indicators early in a project
  • Build and maintain a practical risk register
  • Apply mitigation strategies before problems escalate
  • Reduce rework and abortive design costs

Interested in this course?

Half-day  ·  £295  ·  Online or in person

Enquire About This Course
CPD-103

Early-Stage Leadership in Pre-Planning

Utility survey, drainage and initial earthworks - saving budget and avoiding rework

Full-day Online or in person £350 +

About This Session

How to sequence utility surveys, drainage strategy and initial earthworks so pre-planning activity actually de-risks the project.

Modules

  • Utility survey scope and sequencing 60 min
  • Drainage strategy at concept stage 55 min
  • Initial earthworks and level strategy 55 min
  • Coordinating disciplines before planning submission 90 min
  • Workshop: sequencing a real pre-planning programme 100 min
RIBA alignment: Covers RIBA Stage 0 (Strategic Definition) through Stage 2 (Concept Design), where early information-gathering most affects downstream cost and programme.

Learning Outcomes

  • Sequence pre-planning surveys to avoid delay
  • Identify utility and drainage constraints early
  • Reduce construction rework through early earthworks planning
  • Lead cross-discipline coordination at concept stage

Interested in this course?

Full-day  ·  £350  ·  Online or in person

Enquire About This Course
CPD-104

Ensuring Compliance on Site

Practical site-level compliance management

Half-day Online or in person £295 +

About This Session

A working session on keeping a live project compliant with planning conditions and consents.

Modules

  • Planning condition discharge process 40 min
  • Site inspection and record keeping 40 min
  • Common compliance failures 45 min
  • Working with enforcement officers 55 min
RIBA alignment: Sits within RIBA Stage 5 (Manufacturing and Construction), where condition discharge and site inspection records are most often tested.

Learning Outcomes

  • Track and discharge planning conditions correctly
  • Maintain compliant site records
  • Spot and correct compliance issues before they escalate
  • Communicate effectively with planning enforcement

Interested in this course?

Half-day  ·  £295  ·  Online or in person

Enquire About This Course
CPD-105

Making the Life of a QS Easier

Streamlining information flow and reducing QS friction

Half-day Online or in person £250 +

About This Session

What a QS actually needs, and when, so landscape information stops generating avoidable queries and variation orders.

Modules

  • Information QS need and when 40 min
  • Drawing and specification clarity 40 min
  • Change control and variations 40 min
  • Coordinating landscape costs with the wider budget 60 min

Learning Outcomes

  • Provide QS-ready information at the right project stage
  • Reduce query volume through clearer documentation
  • Manage variations with less friction
  • Support more accurate landscape cost planning

Interested in this course?

Half-day  ·  £250  ·  Online or in person

Enquire About This Course
CPD-106

Effective RFI Management and Distribution

Systems and process for managing and distributing RFIs

Half-day Online or in person £250 +

About This Session

Building an RFI system that scales with clear categorisation, ownership and response-time tracking.

Modules

  • Setting up an RFI system 40 min
  • Categorising and prioritising RFIs 40 min
  • Distribution and response-time management 45 min
  • Closing the loop: tracking and reporting 55 min

Learning Outcomes

  • Structure an RFI system that scales with project size
  • Prioritise RFIs by risk and programme impact
  • Reduce response times through better distribution
  • Report RFI status clearly to the wider team

Interested in this course?

Half-day  ·  £250  ·  Online or in person

Enquire About This Course
CPD-107

What Good Landscape Architecture Practice Looks Like

Standards, process and quality benchmarks for practice

Half-day Online or in person £250 +

About This Session

A benchmarking session on what separates a well-run landscape practice from one that is constantly firefighting.

Modules

  • Quality benchmarks across RIBA stages 45 min
  • Client and consultee communication standards 40 min
  • Internal QA and review processes 45 min
  • Common pitfalls in practice delivery 50 min
RIBA alignment: Structured around the RIBA Plan of Work stages from Strategic Definition through to Use.

Learning Outcomes

  • Benchmark practice output against industry standards
  • Improve client and consultee communication
  • Apply internal QA checks before issue
  • Avoid common delivery pitfalls

Interested in this course?

Half-day  ·  £250  ·  Online or in person

Enquire About This Course
CPD-108

Rewilding: Principles and Practice

Rewilding approaches and their place in development

Half-day Online or in person £295 +

About This Session

Where rewilding genuinely fits within a development scheme, and where it is being used as a label without the ecological substance behind it.

Modules

  • Rewilding principles and ecological theory 40 min
  • Rewilding within a development context 45 min
  • Planning policy and rewilding 40 min
  • Long-term management of rewilded land 55 min

Learning Outcomes

  • Explain core rewilding principles
  • Assess where rewilding fits within a development
  • Navigate planning policy relevant to rewilding
  • Plan for long-term site management

Interested in this course?

Half-day  ·  £295  ·  Online or in person

Enquire About This Course
CPD-109

Managing Policy on Planning for BNG

Navigating Biodiversity Net Gain policy requirements

Half-day Online or in person £295 +

About This Session

A policy-focused session on what local planning authorities actually expect for Biodiversity Net Gain.

Modules

  • BNG legislative framework 40 min
  • Local planning authority requirements 40 min
  • Habitat management and monitoring plans 45 min
  • Securing BNG through planning conditions and legal agreements 55 min

Learning Outcomes

  • Navigate the BNG legislative framework
  • Interpret local authority BNG requirements
  • Draft habitat management and monitoring plans
  • Secure BNG delivery through appropriate legal mechanisms

Interested in this course?

Half-day  ·  £295  ·  Online or in person

Enquire About This Course
CPD-110

BNG Calculations in Practice

Working through Biodiversity Net Gain metric calculations

Full-day Online or in person £325 +

About This Session

A hands-on worked-example session running the biodiversity metric from baseline survey through to a defensible final calculation.

Modules

  • Biodiversity metric structure and inputs 60 min
  • Habitat baseline surveys for BNG 70 min
  • Running the metric: worked examples 110 min
  • Common calculation errors and how to avoid them 70 min

Learning Outcomes

  • Understand the structure of the biodiversity metric
  • Conduct a baseline survey suitable for BNG input
  • Run BNG calculations confidently
  • Identify and avoid common metric errors

Interested in this course?

Full-day  ·  £325  ·  Online or in person

Enquire About This Course
CPD-111

Visual and Design Principles in Landscape Architecture

Core visual and design principles underpinning good schemes

Half-day Online or in person £295 +

About This Session

The core visual design principles including scale, rhythm, enclosure, materials and planting that separate a considered scheme from a generic one.

Modules

  • Core design principles: scale, rhythm, enclosure 40 min
  • Visual sensitivity and receptor assessment 40 min
  • Materials, planting and colour palette 40 min
  • Applying principles to real schemes 60 min
RIBA alignment: Focused on RIBA Stage 2 and 3, where design intent is set before it becomes expensive to change.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply core visual design principles to a scheme
  • Assess visual sensitivity of a site
  • Select materials and planting with design intent
  • Critique and improve scheme-level design decisions

Interested in this course?

Half-day  ·  £295  ·  Online or in person

Enquire About This Course
CPD-112

From Site Survey to Masterplan: The Landscape Design Process

Landscape design drawings, RIBA work stages and client presentation packages

Full-day Online or in person £350 +

About This Session

A practical guide to landscape design drawings, RIBA work stages, and producing professional client presentation packages from interpreting a site survey through to a construction-ready information set.

Modules

  • Interpreting site surveys and topographical data 50 min
  • Site analysis and concept sketches 55 min
  • Mood boards, planting concepts and level strategies 55 min
  • 3D visualisation and client presentation packages 55 min
  • Transitioning into technical design and RIBA alignment 65 min
  • Workshop: building a masterplan package 80 min
RIBA alignment: Maps landscape deliverables directly onto RIBA Stages 0 through 4.

Learning Outcomes

  • Interpret a site survey to inform design
  • Produce a client-ready concept and masterplan package
  • Understand how landscape deliverables map to RIBA stages
  • Transition confidently from concept into technical design

Interested in this course?

Full-day  ·  £350  ·  Online or in person

Enquire About This Course
CPD-113

Collaborating on Site: Utility, Drainage, Road and Ecology Coordination

Cross-discipline coordination between utility, drainage, road and ecology teams

Half-day Online or in person £295 +

About This Session

A coordination-focused session on getting utility, drainage, road and ecology inputs talking to each other early so conflicts are found in a meeting rather than on site.

Modules

  • Utility survey coordination 40 min
  • Drainage and road design interfaces 45 min
  • Ecology constraints and mitigation timing 40 min
  • Running effective cross-discipline coordination meetings 55 min

Learning Outcomes

  • Coordinate utility, drainage, road and ecology inputs
  • Identify conflicts between disciplines before they cause delay
  • Run effective cross-discipline coordination meetings
  • Sequence surveys and inputs to avoid abortive work

Interested in this course?

Half-day  ·  £295  ·  Online or in person

Enquire About This Course
CPD-114

CDM Regulations Refresher: Roles, Duties and Build-Up Methods

CDM 2015 roles and duties, and construction build-up methods

Half-day Online or in person £275 +

About This Session

A refresher on CDM 2015 duties as they apply to landscape projects specifically, plus a walk-through of common construction build-up methods and sequencing.

Modules

  • CDM 2015 roles and duties refresher 45 min
  • Principal designer responsibilities in landscape projects 45 min
  • Construction build-up methods and sequencing 50 min
  • Health and safety file requirements 40 min
RIBA alignment: Relevant across RIBA Stage 4 (Technical Design) through Stage 6 (Handover), where principal designer duties are most active.

Learning Outcomes

  • Recall CDM roles, duties and responsibilities
  • Apply principal designer duties to landscape schemes
  • Understand common build-up methods and sequencing
  • Compile a compliant health and safety file

Interested in this course?

Half-day  ·  £275  ·  Online or in person

Enquire About This Course
CPD-115

Tree Surveys and BS5837 Compliance

Interpreting tree surveys and designing around root protection areas

Half-day Online or in person £275 +

About This Session

How to read a BS5837 tree survey and design around it confidently rather than treating root protection areas as an afterthought.

Modules

  • BS5837 survey requirements and categories 45 min
  • Root protection areas and construction exclusion zones 45 min
  • Arboricultural impact assessments 40 min
  • Integrating tree constraints into design 50 min

Learning Outcomes

  • Interpret a BS5837 tree survey
  • Apply root protection area requirements to a layout
  • Understand the purpose of an arboricultural impact assessment
  • Integrate tree constraints into masterplanning

Interested in this course?

Half-day  ·  £275  ·  Online or in person

Enquire About This Course
CPD-116

Digital Terrain Modelling and GIS for Site Analysis

Using DTM and GIS tools for viewshed and constraint analysis

Half-day Online or in person £295 +

About This Session

A working introduction to digital terrain modelling and GIS for landscape and planning analysis, including viewshed analysis.

Modules

  • DTM and viewshed analysis fundamentals 45 min
  • GIS layers for landscape and planning analysis 45 min
  • Combining topographic and constraint data 45 min
  • Presenting digital analysis to non-technical audiences 45 min
RIBA alignment: Best used at RIBA Stage 1 (Preparation and Briefing), where digital site analysis most directly shapes feasibility decisions.

Learning Outcomes

  • Build and interpret a digital terrain model
  • Run a basic viewshed analysis
  • Combine GIS data layers for site analysis
  • Present digital analysis clearly to clients and planners

Interested in this course?

Half-day  ·  £295  ·  Online or in person

Enquire About This Course
CPD-117

Pre-Application Engagement and Community Consultation

Structuring pre-application engagement and community consultation

Half-day Online or in person £250 +

About This Session

How to structure pre-application engagement and community consultation so it builds genuine support.

Modules

  • Pre-application process and planning authority expectations 40 min
  • Structuring effective community consultation 45 min
  • Handling objections and difficult feedback 45 min
  • Documenting consultation for planning submission 50 min

Learning Outcomes

  • Plan an effective pre-application engagement strategy
  • Structure a community consultation that builds support
  • Respond constructively to objections
  • Produce consultation documentation suitable for submission

Interested in this course?

Half-day  ·  £250  ·  Online or in person

Enquire About This Course
CPD-118

BIM and Construction Phase Planning

Federated BIM models, clash detection and construction sequencing for landscape schemes

Full-day Online or in person £350 +

About This Session

How landscape information fits into a federated BIM model alongside structural, utility and architectural models, covering ISO 19650 information management, clash detection, and construction phase planning.

Modules

  • BIM fundamentals and ISO 19650 information management 55 min
  • Federated models: coordinating landscape with structure, utility and architecture 60 min
  • Clash detection and resolving conflicts before construction 60 min
  • From model to construction phase plan and sequencing 65 min
  • Linking BIM data to RFIs, QS take-offs and site records 60 min
  • Workshop: reviewing a federated model 60 min
RIBA alignment: Spans RIBA Stage 4 (Technical Design) through Stage 5 (Manufacturing and Construction).

Learning Outcomes

  • Explain how landscape models fit within a federated BIM environment
  • Apply ISO 19650 information management principles
  • Identify and resolve clashes before they reach site
  • Translate a coordinated model into a construction phase plan
  • Use BIM data to streamline RFIs and QS take-offs

Interested in this course?

Full-day  ·  £350  ·  Online or in person

Enquire About This Course
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