Planning practice expands on the back of renewed confidence

A home counties planning consultancy has expanded its practice after benefiting from renewed confidence in the commercial and residential sectors.

Phillips Planning Services in Bedford has taken on two graduate planners on top of a third graduate it recruited at the start of the year.

Maria Sheridan joins from University of Birmingham where she did under- and postgraduate courses in planning.

Aikaterini Koukouthaki did a property management degree at University of Thessaloniki and a postgraduate course in building conservation at University of Bath.

Director Al Morrow told Planning: “We are seeing a big increase in work across all sectors, especially residential and commercial work.

“It's hard to say what exactly is causing the increase but I think it reflects much more confidence coming back across various sectors.”

Morrow said Phillips Planning Services had a well-established portfolio of corporate and private clients and also tackled retail, leisure, education, agriculture, tourism, renewable energy, waste recycling and minerals.

“Rather than recruit two straight planners we thought a balance between a planner and another graduate with heritage skills would be a good fit and it follows our recruitment this January of graduate Craig Nixon.”

Phillips Planning Services has been established for more than 20 years employs around 14 professionals in its Bedford office, also run by director Paul Watson.

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