Planning consultants grow workforce at Newcastle base

New business opportunities, business growth and staff churn have led to a spate of new appointments at the North East’s largest planning consultancy.

Eight new faces have joined the Newcastle office of Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners (NLP) taking the total headcount at its largest base outside London to 40.

Jonathan Wallace, director and head of the Newcastle office said: “We see are seeing large volumes of business coming through in housing and associated developments, plus new opportunities in education, energy and infrastructure.

“Our new recruits are joining the firm at an exciting time as confidence levels are rising strongly in the North East and wider development community.”

The new appointments include two new associate directors: Phil Jones joins NLP from Redcar & Cleveland Council after having previously worked as a planning manager at regional development agency One North East, while James Taylor also joins as an associate irector from Durham County Council.

Senior planner, Gayle Black, has joined NLP from the County Durham-based Banks Group with expertise and interest in energy-related schemes.

Amy Farrelly joins as an economics consultant and Rebecca White, Chris Smith, Oonagh Baxter and Dominic Holding have also joined as planners.

The Newcastle office of NLP acts for many of the region’s major developers, landowners and housebuilders. National clients include intu, owners of the Eldon Square and Metrocentre, Marks & Spencer and the De Vere hotel group.