Since the formation of WGDP in 2004 we have built up a team of planning and development professionals who offer a wide range of expertise gained from extensive careers in the private and public sectors. For each of our clients’ projects we can quickly provide a team who can cover the diverse issues often presented by development projects.
Richard has over 20 years experience as a chartered town planner with wide ranging experience particularly in residential and commercial development and historic and conservation matters. He understands the pressures that clients often face when trying to pursue projects through the planning system whilst meeting business needs and objectives. Having established his own successful planning practice, Richard now provides planning and development advice to clients in London and throughout the UK.
Mike is a chartered surveyor and has 20 years experience in all aspects of town planning consultancy work. Mike's work as a past associate partner in Central London enables him to give clear commercial advice in tandem with extensive knowledge on planning policy and practice issues. Enjoying the role of expert witness at hearings or inquiries, Mike has given evidence on many occasions and frequently instructs Counsel. Mike has developed a strong client base reflecting his expert advice in operational, investment and development matters.
Tony is a chartered town planner with wide ranging experience gained over 20 years, particularly in residential and mixed use development and financial viability within the planning system. Having worked as Planning Director for one of the Country’s leading house builders, Tony understands and can respond to the pressures that clients often face when trying to pursue projects through the planning system, where timing, budgets and contracts are paramount.
Tony has successfully achieved planning permission for Clients throughout the Country and has given evidence at over 50 planning inquiries, he frequently instructs Counsel on such matters and High Court challenges. Tony has also advised and acted for the house building industry in the formulation of Government policy on housing in England, Wales and Scotland.
Tony has joined our expanding planning practice to widen our expertise particularly in residential development and can provide Clients with well considered expedient advice in an approachable manner.
Over the last 15 years, Fiona has worked in a commercial environment in planning consultancy and also for several house builders where she gained a thorough understanding of the development process. At a strategic level, Fiona has lead project teams for urban extensions to north-west Benfleet, north-east Swindon, and also at Woolwell, Plymouth, for residential and employment space including leisure uses alongside community and sports provision.
More recently, she was the principal author of the Victoria Hospital Development Brief in Old Town, Swindon that was prepared to deal with the future use of the Hospital once it had vacated the site, and to provide clear guidance to prospective purchasers at the disposal stage as to the type of development and quality approach required by the Council.
Other projects include advising the owners of the Foster designed Renault Building in Swindon as to future viable re-uses of the site. Fiona was also responsible for preparing and co-ordinating the Environmental Statement for John Smedley Limited, the last remaining fine knitwear manufacturer in the country, to support a planning application to create a more efficient and modern production facility at their headquarters at Lea Mills, Derbyshire - a World Heritage Site - to ensure that they maintained their position as a ‘market leader’.
Whilst her experience is primarily residential leading strategic land and mixed-use developments, her time at WGDP, has been spent developing several planning applications for housing schemes in sensitive locations, and assisting in providing advice on a range of other projects involving listed buildings and an equestrian centre, and also exploring alternative but viable re-uses for redundant buildings and sites.
Working at WGDP has given Fiona the opportunity to consolidate her experience and also tackle some unusual and interesting projects that have brought a new dimension to her career!
Lydia has over 15 years of planning experience gained in both the public and private sectors. Lydia’s planning experience is diverse having been a Development Control officer with North Somerset Council dealing with a wide range of development projects including a major housing development in Weston-Super-Mare and a major leisure development on the Somerset Levels. Lydia also represented the planning authority on all forms of appeal.
In consultancy, Lydia project managed the day to day environmental impact assessment work and planning work on a major container port proposal for Associated British Ports, other work included leading environmental and planning work on water and waste water projects for Southern Water and providing planning advice on housing projects.
Lydia also, spent several years as the business manager for a leading planning consultancy working with the Board and responsible for HR, marketing and new business.
More recent work with WGDP has consolidated Lydia’s experience on residential projects including student housing and proposals on brownfield sites. Someone who brings an overview on the many aspects of development proposals and a working knowledge of most parts of the development process, Lydia is looking forward to working with WGDP on their increasingly diverse portfolio.
WGDP recently welcomed Richard MacCullagh to our expanding professional team. Richard is working with WGDP as a consultant specialising in the historic environment. He brings with him extensive experience working in local government in rural Scotland, London and Hampshire with over nine years spent managing the Conservation and Design Team at Winchester City Council. Richard has also worked on urban renewal projects in Lewisham, London, Temple Bar, Dublin and Laganside, Belfast.
Richard can advise on all aspects of development affecting the historic environment and has much experience of negotiating successful schemes ranging from thatched timber framed cottages to the grandest of country houses, finding new uses for redundant historic buildings and encouraging high quality contemporary architecture.
Laura has recently joined WGDP for her placement year out as part of her degree in City and Regional Planning (BSc) at Cardiff University.
Laura has already gained experience in town planning having undertaken work experience with Monmouthshire County Council and Redrow.
At WGDP Laura, has already assisted in preparing Instructions for Counsel, a listed building application and a design and access statement for a residential project off Clapham Common and objections against a major retail development on behalf of local retailers.
Hopefully, having been inspired by her year with WGDP, Laura intends to finish her degree and go on to study for a Masters in either Housing or Regeneration.
With other members of Anna’s family involved in the property and construction industry you could say that “development “is in Anna’s blood providing her with the perfect background to be working with WGDP. Previous experience has given Anna skills in office management, marketing and administration. Anna provides high quality support to all the team at WGDP, producing and preparing documents, undertaking all aspects of the accounts work and sorting out the numerous demands of the team and office.