Real estate firm Savills has appointed James Firth as director of its planning team in its Chelmsford office.

Mr Firth will work with Catherine Williams, also a director, who has been at the forefront of Savills’ planning presence in the city and will continue to play a pivotal role in the team focussing on the Essex and East London corridor.

Formerly head of national planning with Strutt & Parker, he has extensive experience with private planning consultancy and local authority roles in Essex, working across residential, commercial and mixed-use developments.

Sam Hollingworth as associate director and Laura Dudley-Smith are also joining the team from Strutt & Parker. Mr Hollingworth specialises in local land promotion and five-year housing supply; Ms Dudley-Smith is an experienced planning consultant working to achieve planning permission for a range of clients.

Stephen White, head of office at Savills Chelmsford, said “This is an exciting new appointment that has allowed us to accelerate our plans for growth. Catherine Williams has done so much to lead the planning presence in Chelmsford over recent years and I’m delighted she will continue that work alongside James and the rest of the team. 

Collectively they have a great deal of experience and expertise that demonstrates our ongoing commitment to strengthening our business not just in Chelmsford but also Essex and the wider Eastern region, as well as ensuring that we continue to provide the very best service for new and existing clients.”

On his appointment, Mr Firth said “Essex remains a very active market and an exciting place to work.  The significant new infrastructure projects coming forward around Chelmsford and the rest of the county will present further opportunities for strategic development. I look forward to joining Catherine and the wider Savills team in Chelmsford – working particularly alongside its strong development team to further develop the planning offer in the region.”

Image source- Savills

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