LUC launches ENGAGE3D for infrastructure consultations

LUC has launched ENGAGE3D, an immersive visualisation tool for community consultation on infrastructure projects, designed to help local people understand how proposed developments could appear in their area.

The system uses game-engine technology to create interactive 3D models of proposed schemes within real-world landscapes, displayed on a touchscreen television at consultation events. Users can move through a site at eye level, switch to a virtual drone view, and compare different layouts and scenarios.

ENGAGE3D can also be tailored for individual projects. Users can explore landmarks and selected viewpoints while switching between seasons, weather conditions, visibility settings and turbine speeds, alongside supporting media and annotations.

Each model draws on several datasets, including LiDAR terrain models, aerial imagery, the National Tree Map and photography, to reflect conditions on the ground. The approach is intended to give communities a clearer view of how planned infrastructure could alter local landscapes.

The launch comes as infrastructure developers face growing pressure to show residents what projects will look like before planning decisions are made. Visual impact is often a central issue in consultations on wind farms and other energy developments, particularly in rural areas.

One of the first organisations to adopt the system is Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, the publicly owned renewable energy developer in Wales, which is using the technology in consultations on a series of new wind farm proposals across the country.

Residents can explore landscapes within an average 10-kilometre radius of each site through the model prepared for the developer. Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru commissioned LUC to apply the system so communities could better understand the visual change that might result if projects proceed to construction and operation.

Rob Booth outlined the thinking behind the product launch.

“At LUC, we believe that the best projects start with listening. Effective consultation builds understanding, strengthens trust, and helps communities feel part of shaping their future,” said Rob Booth, chief executive of LUC.

He added: “This is why we developed ENGAGE3D – an integrated service backed by 60 years of environmental consultancy expertise and robust GIS data. It is a tool that will facilitate meaningful conversations about development proposals and place communities at the heart of decision-making.”

Early use

Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru said the model has already been used at early-stage project introduction events and helped people examine the appearance of proposed turbines from both nearby locations and several kilometres away.

Dr Catrin Ellis-Jones described how the model is being used in those consultations.

“The 3D digital model is an excellent tool for visualising what a project can look like in the local landscape from close up, or from kilometres away. It helps provide context and illustrates how features such as trees and buildings, or topographic effects, can make turbines less apparent from some locations and more obvious from others,” said Dr Catrin Ellis-Jones, head of public involvement at Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru.

Ellis-Jones said the system also allows residents to compare new proposals with existing turbines where relevant and broadens access to technical planning material.

“It allows direct comparison with existing turbines where they exist, which people are often keen to see. It makes the data and designs we draw up easily accessible to a wide range of people, young and old, and in turn helps us gather informed and specific feedback on our proposals.

“It was appreciated by local people and stakeholders who participated in our early-stage project introduction events, and the 3D model will be updated through the iterative and consultative planning process, so people can also see our designs evolve,” she said.

LUC is an environmental consultancy offering planning, impact assessment, landscape design, ecology and geospatial services to public and private sector clients. The employee-owned firm has more than 300 staff across offices in London, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Sheffield, Cardiff and Manchester.