What James Blake Associates does

James Blake Associates Ltd (JBA) is a UK-based multi-disciplinary landscape architecture, planning, and ecology consultancy founded in 1989 and headquartered in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The firm delivers integrated services across landscape design and implementation, landscape planning and strategy, urban design, ecology (including protected species surveys and Biodiversity Net Gain assessments), arboriculture (BS5837 tree surveys, TPO applications), invasive weed eradication, and land adoption management under Section 106/38/104 agreements. Its primary client base comprises UK residential developers and housebuilders — including Bellway, Taylor Wimpey, Persimmon, Bovis Homes, Bloor Homes, Keepmoat, Crest Nicholson, Cala, Miller, Vistry, and Hopkins Homes — alongside hospitality operators (Whitbread), healthcare and education institutions, retailers, retirement living developers, and local planning authorities.

JBA differentiates through a 'value innovation' approach claiming cost savings of over £10 per square metre and £1-2M per 1-2 hectare green infrastructure site, supported by its proprietary in-house LandmARC software that encodes planting distance compliance for building foundations and prompts designers to optimize feature contrast. The business operates as a B2B professional services firm generating project-based revenue through competitive tenders and direct client relationships, with disclosed contract values ranging from £50K (Nuffield Hospital, Tesco) to £1.5M (Bloor Homes Tayfen Meadows). The firm employs 51-100 people, is privately held without external investment, and has established a strategic partnership with OASIS for land adoption brokerage.

Name

James Blake Associates

Legal name

James Blake Associates Ltd

Website

https://jba-landmarc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

James Blake Associates is a UK-based multi-disciplinary consultancy delivering landscape architecture, ecology, arboriculture, urban design, and Biodiversity Net Gain services to residential developers, housebuilders, local authorities, and commercial clients, supported by its proprietary LandmARC design software.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Architecture and Ecological Consultancy

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arborist Consulting, Tree Risk Assessments & Appraisals (HSAIADAJ), Invasive Species & Vegetation Management (Woody Plants) (HSAIADAI), Tree Care & Arborist Services (BPABADAD)

Keywords

• Landscape architecture services
• Ecological consultancy
• Arboriculture services
• Biodiversity net gain
• Urban design planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Sudbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Landscape Architecture Services: Project-based professional services revenue from landscape design, planning, and implementation for residential and commercial developments. Fees are typically quoted based on project scope, site size, and service complexity.
2. Ecology Services: Ecological surveys, assessments, and biodiversity net gain services for development sites, including protected species surveys, habitat assessments, and ongoing monitoring.
3. Arboriculture Services: Tree and hedgerow appraisal services including surveys, impact assessments, TPO applications, and management plans for development sites.
4. Land Adoption Services: Dedicated land management service to initiate, negotiate, and pursue land adoption through Section 106, Section 38, and Section 104 agreements. Includes project management, liaison with authorities, and remedial works.
5. Weed Eradication Services: Eradication and control of invasive weeds including Japanese Knotweed, using DEFRA approved herbicides and wetting agents.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

James Blake Associates is a UK multi-disciplinary consultancy providing landscape architecture, urban design, ecology, arboriculture, Biodiversity Net Gain, land adoption, and invasive weed eradication services for residential and commercial development projects. Services span feasibility, planning strategy, ecological and arboricultural surveys, detailed landscape design, masterplanning, and implementation support, delivered through integrated in-house teams from its Bury St Edmunds headquarters.

Product overview

James Blake Associates operates as a multi-disciplinary landscape architecture, planning, and ecology consultancy offering an integrated suite of services. The core portfolio comprises Landscape Design and Implementation, Landscape Planning (Landscape Strategy and Concept), Urban Design, Ecology Services, Arboriculture, Biodiversity Net Gain, Weed Eradication, and Land Adoption services. These services are delivered through a multi-disciplinary team approach where landscape architects, ecologists, arboriculturalists, and urban designers collaborate on projects. The firm also utilizes an in-house proprietary software tool called LandmARC for landscape design detailing. Services are provided to residential developers, commercial clients, and public sector organizations across the UK, with a focus on sustainable, biodiversity-focused design solutions that deliver commercial value.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Landscape Design and Implementation Comprehensive landscape design and implementation services for residential and commercial developments, providing creative, innovative, and practical designs with sustainable solutions that deliver immediate impact and design longevity. Delivered to property developers, housebuilders, and public sector clients.
• Landscape Planning (Landscape Strategy and Concept) Strategic landscape planning services providing commercial acumen, value-add insight, and strategies that deliver significant cost savings through green infrastructure optimisation, typically at the planning application and concept design stage of residential and commercial developments.
• Ecology Services Ecological surveys, assessments, and mitigation services covering protected species (bats, badgers, Great Crested Newts, reptiles, water voles, dormice, birds), habitat management, and biodiversity net gain calculations for development sites.
• Arboriculture Comprehensive tree and hedgerow appraisal services including BS5837 tree surveys, constraints plans, impact assessments, method statements, Tree Protection Order (TPO) applications, and PiCUS decay assessments for development sites.
• Biodiversity Net Gain Biodiversity Net Gain assessment and implementation services using the DEFRA Statutory Metric to ensure developments achieve the required 10% biodiversity uplift, including habitat creation and 30-year management plans for residential and commercial schemes.
• Urban Design Urban design services focused on high quality, sustainable developments, including project management, site assessment, feasibility studies, masterplanning, massing studies, and design codes for residential and mixed-use schemes.
• Weed Eradication Eradication and control services for invasive weeds including Japanese Knotweed, using DEFRA-approved herbicides and wetting agents, with guarantees and cost-effective solutions for developers, landowners, and public sector clients.
• Land Adoption Dedicated land management and adoption services handling Section 106, Section 38, and Section 104 agreements, including liaising with local authorities, monitoring, and remedial works management for residential and commercial developments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Savings of over £10 per metre square on green infrastructure projects
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Art SeatsminorOthersArt Seats is a partner providing outdoor public seating suitable for parks, play areas, schools, and al fresco dining areas. Made from 90% recycled materials, Art Seats are customizable with applied graphics and are easy to install with low maintenance requirements. JBA has used these products in landscape designs, particularly for play areas.
• OASIS (Land Adoption Management)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOASIS is JBA's land adoption management company that provides comparative quotes for land adoption options. The partnership enables JBA to offer clients alternative adoption options or negotiate better prices with local planning authorities. OASIS provides ongoing habitat supervision and biodiversity monitoring.
• Bloor HomescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBloor Homes is a key client and development partner on multiple projects including Tayfen Meadows (£1.5 million contract) and Martello Park Felixstowe. JBA provides landscape architecture, ecology, and arboriculture services for residential developments.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WSP: WSP is a global professional services firm with UK landscape architecture, ecology, arboriculture, and urban design practices. It competes with JBA on larger strategic development and infrastructure projects where a global brand and broader capability set are preferred.
• Arup: Arup is a global engineering and design consultancy with established UK landscape architecture, urban design, and ecology teams. It is a broad incumbent offering overlapping services as part of a much wider infrastructure and built-environment portfolio.
• SLR Consulting: SLR is a global environmental and advisory consultancy with substantial UK ecology, arboriculture, and landscape capability. It serves many of the same housebuilder and developer clients as JBA but from a broader environmental services platform.
• Stantec UK: Stantec, having absorbed Barton Willmore, is a global design and engineering firm with UK landscape architecture, planning, ecology, and BNG capability. It competes with JBA on mid-to-large UK residential and mixed-use developments, typically at larger project scales.

Emerging players

• Greengage Environmental: Greengage is a smaller UK ecological and arboricultural consultancy focused on ecology, BNG, and arboriculture for development projects. It is an emerging competitor to JBA's ecology and arboriculture service lines.

Direct peers

• Tyler Grange: Tyler Grange is a UK ecology, arboriculture, and landscape planning consultancy serving developers and housebuilders. Its service mix (BS5837 surveys, BNG assessments, ecological impact assessment) overlaps directly with JBA's ecology and arboriculture practice.
• Thomson Environmental Consultants: Thomson is a UK-wide ecological consultancy providing protected species surveys, habitat assessments, and BNG services. It competes with JBA's ecology and BNG streams for the same developer-driven project pipeline.
• Barton Willmore (now part of Stantec): Barton Willmore / Stantec is a UK planning, design, and landscape architecture consultancy serving the same residential developer and local authority client base as JBA, with comparable multi-disciplinary offerings spanning landscape, urban design, and environmental planning.
• The Landscape Partnership: The Landscape Partnership is a UK landscape architecture and environmental planning consultancy serving developers, local authorities, and housebuilders. Its core landscape design and planning services directly overlap JBA's landscape architecture offering.
• LDA Design: LDA Design is a UK-based multi-disciplinary practice offering landscape architecture, urban design, and masterplanning, with adjacent ecology and arboriculture capability. It directly competes with JBA for residential developer, housebuilder, and public-sector commissions across England.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/jamesblakeassociates
• Xx.com/jba_landmarc
• Facebookfacebook.com/jbalandmarc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about James Blake Associates