As we head into the festive period, we wanted to thank our clients, collaborators and team for making the work we do possible.
Wishing everyone a well-earned festive break from all of us at David Lock Associates!
Looking for somewhere new to shape better places in 2026?
We’re recruiting a Senior/Associate Masterplanner to join our team in Milton Keynes (apply by 16 January 2026).
We plan, design and facilitate the delivery of better communities; our multidisciplinary teams produce imaginative, compelling and deliverable masterplans for landowners, developers and the public sector, often on nationally significant projects.
We’re looking for someone with demonstrable experience in masterplanning urban extensions and greenfield sites. You’ll be working with design colleagues to:
🔷 produce imaginative concept work for vision documents and site appraisals to support land promotion,
🔷 contribute to illustrative masterplans, design studies, parameter plans and Design & Access Statements for outline applications,
🔷 understand how masterplanning integrates with town planning, from outline through to reserved matters,
🔷 bring experience in design coding,
🔷 present work confidently to clients, local authorities and stakeholders, and
🔷 help secure new work, having contributed to successful bids.
We provide opportunities for talented people to make a mark and progress their careers within a supportive and collaborative studio culture. If you like the sound of what we do, we would love to hear from you.
For full details on the role visit our website, link in bio! If you’d like to apply please email your portfolio, CV and covering letter to: [email protected].
We’re accepting applications for Assistant Planners to join us next summer!
You’ll be integrated into our project teams from day one, helping shape places at every scale; from strategic growth strategies and new communities down to detailed planning applications. We work in a supportive and collaborative studio, helping you to grow your skills, and build your knowledge with mentoring from your colleagues.
We’re attending graduate fairs throughout October and November. If you’d like to learn more about life here, our work, or the application process, we’d love to speak to you!
You can find out more about us, and details on how to apply on our Graduate Hub (link in bio)
Applications close: 28 November 2025
Developing a spatial strategy for the new era of strategic planning 🪐
With Government backing and industry commitment, strategic plan-making is firmly back on the agenda; big, bold, and ready to drive delivery across England.
With more than 35 years’ experience in designing and delivering successful places at scale, strategic planning is a core strand of our DNA. It requires an approach that is long-term; applied to growth at scale; and requires collaboration from those who facilitate development and infrastructure to deliver growth with a set of clear, meaningful commitments.
Strategic planning unlocks opportunities that would otherwise be ignored, or constrained by local plans. The scale allows identification of broader areas of search, with the capacity to support integrated and strategic infrastructure, the longer term allows flexibility for that opportunity to evolve, deliver and endure over time.
Our approach is ‘big picture, creative thinking’, and we know that good places for growth are undeniable, regardless of whether they are identified by the private or public sector. Through our work on strategic growth studies, we have created a unique, data-driven, deliverable method in strategic spatial optioning, essential to building a robust spatial strategy for a strategic plan.
We’re going to share some insights from our work, to support the ‘new’ era of strategic planning. Follow along, and get in touch if you’d like to speak with our team!
New Sport England Illustrative Places Now Live!
Our latest work with @officialsportengland explores how Active Design principles can be embedded into urban spaces, shaping healthier, more active communities.
We’ve helped develop three new illustrative place examples, offering adaptable models for integrating physical activity into different development settings:
1. Waterfront Regeneration – Enhancing movement and wellbeing through better access to water-based spaces.
2. Urban Park – Strengthening existing assets to maximise everyday activity.
3. Change Over Time – Evolving existing places with low-cost, flexible interventions.
The resources provide clear, practical guidance for planners and designers, through evidence based flexible best practice models, with clear interventions that outline how #ActiveDesign principles can be successfully embedded into frameworks.
You can view these in full on the #SportEngland website!
#placemaking #urbandesign #healthycommunities #urbanspaces #activecommunities
Seasons greetings from everyone at David Lock Associates! Thank you to all our clients and colleagues for their support over the past year, we look forward to working on more exciting things with you all in the new year.
@officialsportengland have just published a report on a series of workshops that we worked on with them and #OHID!
All eight workshops were a fantastic experience for our team. We travelled around the country for the 8 sessions, sharing our knowledge and insights on healthy place making and Active Design, and hearing about inspiring work from local experts around what is happening in this complex field. We also got the opportunity to hear from other sectors, with health and physical activity professionals participating in the workshops, helping us understand the challenges they face, and how our planning and design roles could help.
The report summarises the work undertaken, and makes key recommendations related to progressing the exiting agenda. There's more about our role, and a link to the report on our website, link in bio.
In this London we’ve planned for future Generations and thought beyond boundaries. By creating self-sustaining island villages and using sustainable energy, we ensure economic upliftment and environmental stewardship, aiming for a 'planet neutral' London where the environment is reclaimed, respected and can recover. Natural corridors mean wildlife can migrate freely through green paths and revitalised waterways, communities are linked with nature through walking, cycling, and boating.
Our vision for Co+London leverages innovation and puts a focus on working in partnership, utilising cutting-edge technologies for sustainable, interconnected living, enhancing life quality and ecological balance. Communities are centred around evolving High Streets, multi-use marketplaces and recreational areas so everyone can learn, socialise and work in happy and healthy environments. Here, we urge all Londoners to collaborate and form strong environmental partnerships for a sustainable future.
We recently re-imagined #London, inspired by Abercrombie's visionary Great London Map, for @nlalondon ’s competition! Although we didn't make the shortlist this time, we’re excited to share our concept, Co+London, with you over the next few days.
In our version of the future capital there’s a Focus on #Health and #Value Diversity. Our vision integrates natural environments into urban spaces, promotes active lifestyles through various movement networks, and encourages community connections via Growing High Streets and multi-generational homes. Embracing diverse, multi-use spaces, we create vibrant, inclusive communities united by environmental sustainability and harmonious coexistence with wildlife.
We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve received planning approval for this beautiful house! 🎉 This is a significant milestone in our project, achieved through teamwork and dedication.
Situated on the edge of a quaint settlement, in an area designated as open countryside, this project required a meticulous approach. We worked closely with the Local Authority to ensure our proposal was just right, and we’re delighted that it received their support.
With planning approval in hand, we’re now gearing up for the pre-construction phase. Stay tuned for more updates as we bring this vision to life! 🌟🔨
Architect - H3house
Planning Consultant - David Lock Associates
Builder & Cost Advisor - Level Up Developments
#PlanningApproved #MilestoneAchieved #TeamWork #CountrysideLiving #ConstructionJourney #HomeExpansion #ArchitecturalDesign #DreamHome #H3house #Planningapproval #architecture #architecturedesign #renovation #buildingextension
In May 2022 the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill included an option for local authorities to jointly prepare Spatial Development Strategies, now the Bill has become an Act, the #Government need to make amendments to the #NPPF to build an appropriate framework and national policy to steer and incentivise SDSs.
We’ve looked at sections from the December 2023 NPPF that relate to plan-making, and given our view of what needs to be considered and amended in the wider review of the NPPF to come.
Read what we think in our recent #blog here, link in bio.
#townplanning #levellingup #localplan #sustainabledevelopment #planmaking #development #housing #planning #nationalpolicy
