Bidwells has appointed Laura Jenkinson as Head of London Planning. This appointment marks the culmination of a strategic expansion of its London planning capability that began in the Autumn of last year with the arrival of Jamie Sullivan (formerly Iceni) and the recent arrival of partners Tim Sturgess and Matthew Pigott. Jenkinson joins from Avison Young, where she spent more than 12 years and has been a member of the both the WPA and CPA Planning and Sustainability Committees, has contributed to the BCO Guide to Specification and has served as a panel member in the South East built environment design support team.
Jenkinson's appointment marks a significant step in Bidwells' London growth strategy. Her focus will be on major Zone 1 and 2 projects, working across the City of London, Westminster, Lambeth, Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Brent, across a range of sectors including office, residential, hotel and industrial. She will provide clients with commercial and delivery-focused planning advice across one of the most complex and competitive development markets in the UK.
She leads a London planning team, which now combines Jenkinson's central London major project expertise with Sturgess and Sulivan leading the outer London and south-east strategic planning offer and Pigott's track record in commercial development, office retrofit and tall buildings. Before Avison Young, Jenkinson held roles at Brent Council and the Government Office for London, giving her a depth of local authority and public sector experience that underpins her advisory work.
These appointments represent a material investment in Bidwells' London platform, reflecting the firm's assessment that demand for sophisticated, commercially grounded planning advice in the capital is growing – and that clients operating in complex urban environments require a dedicated team with the range of expertise to match.
Chris Pattison, Head of Planning at Bidwells, said:
“London’s most important and complex schemes, such as mixed-use regeneration, tall buildings, and high-profile developments in constrained central locations require advisers who understand the politics of the planning system as well as the technical process. Laura has spent her career working at that intersection and she knows exactly how to operate in that environment. That kind of credibility with decision-makers is a rare asset, and it is increasingly what our clients need when the stakes are so high.”
Laura Jenkinson, Head of London Planning, Bidwells:
"The planning system is under more pressure than at almost any point in my career, with stretched local authorities, accelerating policy change, and a government that wants to see delivery at speed and scale. In that environment, the firms that will serve clients well are the ones that can translate the complexity of the planning process into a clear route to valuable and deliverable approvals. What Bidwells has assembled in London is a team with the breadth and experience to work across every part of the market. That is not common, and it’s why it’s such an exciting time to be leading the team.”
