However profits remain flat for global planning consultant

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Real-time Share Price

Global planning consultant RPS has increased turnover by 11.3% to £252m in the last six months, according to interim results out today.

The firm, which also works as a consultant to the oil and gas sectors, said profit had however flatlined, rising just 0.5% to £23.5m in the face of continuing “headwinds” in a number of its markets.

Fees from the UK market fell by nearly 20% to £45.3m, from £54.7m, and fee income from planning and development also slipped marginally, to £87.5m.

Chairman Brook Land said profits had been hit by a combination of the severe weather in Australia, the continuing fall out from the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, and political unrest in the Middle East. He said: “Some parts of the group’s business are growing again, while others still face significant economic headwinds.

“Although significant uncertainties are still apparent in property development markets internationally, we remain of the view this is likely to mark the beginning of a new period of growth for RPS. The pace of that growth remains, in significant part, dependant upon factors external to the group.”