Bracknell: Pegasus Group appoints new head of urban design team

An experienced planning and design professional, with a career spanning more than 20 years, has been appointed by leading development consultancy Pegasus Group.

Tom Looker will lead the urban design team at the company’s Bracknell office, and brings with him a breadth of experience in the built environment and a specialism in masterplanning and urban design.

His appointment comes as Pegasus Group continues the expansion of urban design services and looks to strengthen its offering in the Home Counties.

Looker is well versed in working on complex and challenging projects at a variety of different scales, including large residential led mixed-use development at one end of the spectrum, to small-scale sites comprising just a few dwellings at the other.

He said: “I am extremely pleased to be joining Pegasus Group at a time when the company’s ambitions address the rise in demand for work in urban design across the country.

“The ability to design at different scales and understand the implications of proposals at the macro and micro level ensures that schemes are underpinned by the principles of good urbanism while being deliverable and commercially sound.

“I am passionate about placemaking and creating sustainable places for the future secured by a strong design rationale.”

Looker’s recent showcase projects have included developing a master plan framework for a new sustainable neighbourhood of 3,000 homes to the east of Milton Keynes which embraced the unique green infrastructure and transport movement characteristics of the city. Following approval of the outline application, design codes were produced that focused on delivering a network of streets and spaces of the highest design quality.

He was also the lead designer for an outline application and design code at a sensitive gateway site in Alton, Hampshire. He worked closely with the Neighbourhood Plan Group and town council on plans for up to 200 dwellings that sought to preserve and enhance the source of the River Wey within a new linear park while keeping development to the valley bottom and maintaining views to wooded ridgelines characteristic of Alton.

Tony Bateman, Pegasus Group’s managing director said: “We are delighted to welcome someone of Tom’s calibre to our Bracknell office where we are confident his many years of experience in both the private and public sectors set will enable us to support and grow our urban design offering to clients.”

Pegasus Group has more than 280 skilled and experienced staff operating from 12 offices throughout the UK. Their approach combines local and national knowledge of the property and development industry providing clients with an unrivalled understanding of what is required to make their schemes successful.