LEADING global sustainability and environmental consultancy SLR Consulting has strengthened its planning footprint across the South East with three key appointments to its Southampton team, part of its wider investment in growing its planning capability across the UK and Ireland.

The expanded team is anchored by the appointment of Peter Home as principal planner, bringing more than two decades of experience in planning consultancy, officer and community infrastructure levy adviser roles., With extensive knowledge of the Southampton and wider South Coast planning landscape. Peter is a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) with  a strong track record of supporting residential development, site promotion, call for sites submissions and planning applications.

Peter said: “SLR has a strong platform for continued growth, and with more than two decades of planning experience and an established network developed through my work with the RTPI, I can bring valuable insight from a variety of perspectives within the planning landscape.

SLR’s multidisciplinary expertise offers a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with colleagues across digital, advisory and technical disciplines to strengthen our planning offering, develop new opportunities and deliver greater value for clients.”

To support this regional growth, SLR has also appointed Philip Williams as associate planner and Archie Korrie as senior planner. Philip joined the team in April, bringing residential planning experience alongside an understanding of political engagement through his role as a district councillor. Archie, who also joined in April, brings experience from the housebuilding sector, providing valuable insight from developer perspective.

The three appointments increase the size of SLR’s Southampton planning team to seven, strengthening its ability to respond to a growing pipeline of residential planning work across the South Coast and wider South East. Southampton is also home to several senior figures within SLR’s wider business, further strengthening the office’s role as an important regional hub. These include Chris Lyons, head of UK planning, Clare May, European practice leader for ecology and biodiversity, and Adrian French, technical director and planning and EIA lead for the UK power sector. Their presence provides the Southampton team with direct access to senior expertise across a wide breadth of built environment and environmental services.

The Southampton team works closely with SLR’s wider planning network, including colleagues in London, creating a connected South East offering that combines strong local knowledge with access to national expertise. The team collaborates with planners across the business, including Andrew Munson, Rebekah Gibson, Mena van der Vycer and Angela Moore.

Chris Lyons said: “With 55 planners with strong regional knowledge and broad sector expertise now working  UK and Ireland, we have a strong platform from which to continue to build the team, develop new opportunities and provide clients with access to high-quality planning expertise wherever they need it.”

“The growing breadth of SLR’s work is also helping attract planning professionals who want exposure to a wider range of projects and sectors than they might find within more residential-focused consultancies. By combining local planning expertise with access to a national multidisciplinary network, SLR is continuing to build a connected planning offering across the UK and Ireland.”

For more information on SLR Consulting and its planning services, head to https://www.slrconsulting.com/