A leading architectural and urban design company – which has its headquarters in Coventry – has launched a new planning division.
IDP Group, which also has offices in London, Manchester and Peterborough and operates across the UK, has launched IDP Planning.
The new division will be headed up by Mike Jones, who has more than 30 years’ experience in the private and public sectors.
Jones has worked for companies across the UK including Crest Nicolson, Savills, Oakmoor Estates and Richborough Estates.
The new division, based at the company headquarters in Coventry, will offer a full range of planning services including site finding, development feasibility studies, planning applications and appeals, neighbourhood plans and community engagement.
David Blake, executive chairman of the IDP Group, said: “We work across a wide range of sectors and offer clients – new and existing – several complementary services.
“Planning is obviously a fundamental component of the developmental process and we believe we can offer a full planning service but backed with the experience and expertise we have developed across our other disciplines.
“Mike has a proven track record in planning and has worked in different sides of the industry so it is a very exciting development.”
IDP Planning will work on independent commissions but also alongside the design, project management and landscaping arms of IDP Group.
Jones said: “IDP is a very well established group with an outstanding reputation and track record so this is a very exciting opportunity.
“Not only will I be working alongside other IDP professionals for existing clients, but there is massive scope for the services we offer, especially bearing in mind the drive to deliver land for thousands of new homes under the raft of emerging local plans across the UK.”
IDP was founded in 1991 and now employs more than 70 professionals across its network of offices.
It was worked on a number of high profile schemes regionally including the 850 unit residential regeneration of Camp Hill in Nuneaton. Recent national projects include the project to deliver a new sustainable mixed-use community at the Kew development in Southport and newly approved plans for the redevelopment of Wokingham city centre.