BNP Paribas Real Estate has announced the appointment of Kevin Hunt as head of Bristol planning as the firm bolsters its team with new hires as the city progresses one of the largest regeneration projects in the UK.
Kevin joins following a 19-year career at JLL where he held the role of director, planning and development, leading the South West & Wales teams across major residential, commercial, mixed-use and education projects for clients including The University of Bristol, Dandara Living and Homes England.
In his new role, he will be working alongside Caroline McDade, national head of planning, to head up BNP Paribas Real Estate and Strutt & Parker’s planning team within the region as it delivers projects for clients across the South West region, and crucially, as Bristol undertakes significant regeneration plans to deliver affordable homes, commercial spaces, and important infrastructure. His focus will be on continuing work on the major regeneration schemes in Bristol as well as advising on projects across the UK.
Kevin will be supported by Lewis Knight who joins his team as senior associate director from Stonewood Partnerships where he was planning manager. With over a decade of experience, Lewis has delivered major projects including his taking a leading role in securing planning permission for the £300 million Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus and residential development on sites with complex heritage considerations. This is alongside his broader experience on residential, commercial, mixed use and education projects for national and regional developers; as well as acting for private landowners, funds, institutions, and public sector bodies.
Caroline McDade, senior director, national head of planning at BNP Paribas Real Estate commented: “With a variety of regeneration schemes currently in discussion or execution stage across the Bristol and wider South West area which will seek to enhance the built environment and strengthen their respective economies to attract inward investment, we are arming our regional team with a sector champion and experienced leader in Kevin, supported by further hires such as Lewis and more we are looking to make. They are the perfect candidates to position our team for success as investment surges and our active projects increase in capacity.”
Kevin Hunt, senior director, head of Bristol planning at BNP Paribas Real Estate added: “The emergence of the Temple Quarter regeneration project in Bristol, will act as a further catalyst for investment into the city and wider region. I look forward to joining Caroline’s team at this time, and to supporting the Bristol office and national planning team on new projects across the UK. The planning system faces unprecedented challenges at the moment and clients need insightful advice which is commercially astute as we seek to deliver much needed new homes, jobs and regeneration opportunities.
Combining the experience and history of BNP Paribas Real Estate and Strutt & Parker, the development and planning teams support landowners, developers, funds and local authorities to unlock development opportunities across all asset types. They have a strong track record in extracting value from complex projects, combining their local knowledge with technical expertise.
Kevin and Lewis’s appointment follows the appointment of Daniel Maddox as Director, Rights of Light, Bruno Jaczkowski as Senior Director within London development, Paul Anglo as Director of Flexible Office Solutions and Tanisha Krishnan as Associate Director within workplace strategy, demonstrating BNP Paribas Real Estate’s continued drive to connect clients with opportunities and sustainable property solutions through expert advice, insight, and financial acumen, supporting them to create long term outperformance and value in a changing world.
