Fast growing environmental land consultancy LK Group has opened its first Scottish office off the back of growing demand for its services, and directors are confident of creating 20 new jobs over the next few months.

The Scottish division will be headed by Dr Robert Muir, who was previously Senior Geoenvironmental specialist at NPL Estates and Omnitech.

The company is already working on projects with SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency), PWP Consulting, Woolgar Hunter Ltd, Taylor Woodrow and Ground Developments Ltd.

Dr Muir said: "LK Group is picking up an increasing number of projects in Scotland so it made sense to open a local office. Scotland has a formidable reputation for developing environmental scientists and engineers and we hope to tap into a fertile pool of top quality graduates and experienced practitioners."

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An ardent supporter of the regeneration of brownfield sites in Scotland as an answer to the country's housing shortage, Dr Muir said: "There are a lot of misconceptions about the cost of brownfield regeneration. The reality is that as more specialists enter the market and methods become more sophisticated, the costs are going down.

"It would be a travesty if the green belt areas across Scotland were sacrificed when there is so much well positioned land that would be ideal for housing.

"What's needed is a bit of foresight and not a short-term quick fix that will only compound the problem further for future generations."

A Scottish Executive report published last month stated that 270,000 extra homes are needed over the next nine years to satisfy demand for affordable housing.

Yet a report by the same Executive in 2004 (Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey 2003) showed that Scotland has 4,222 brownfield sites, accounting for 10,847 hectares, that are ripe for development.

"It's a ridiculous situation," adds Dr Muir. "Only last week it was announced that a group of local authorities in the east of Scotland is looking at the 64 square miles of green belt around Edinburgh with a view to releasing it for regeneration. They should be looking at clearing up brownfield sites instead and protecting this beautiful country."

(CD/JM)