GVA expanding on back of residential, retail and DCO upswing

Consultancy GVA has launched a recruitment drive largely as a result of an upswing in work related to residential developments. 

Gerry Hughes, senior director and national head of planning, development and regeneration at GVA, told Planning that in the last 12 months the firm had embarked on a growth plan to expand the business.

The firm is budgeting for around a 20 per cent increase in planners, Hughes said. 

He added that the greatest proportion of growth over the next 12 to 18 months is expected to come from increasing activity in the residential sector.

He said: “We are pushing hard into the residential market. That’s everything from advising landowners on urban extensions and releasing of sites from non-residential use … but also increasingly advising on very large-scale residential schemes, including schemes which could feature as garden cities coming forward.

“We are also focused on growing our retail team nationally, with a focus on London. And the third area sector-wise that we particularly want to grow is on our development consent order work.”