We see continued growth within our Planning Consultancy team residing in the Planning, Regeneration + Infrastructure (PR+I) division, as Helen Reid is appointed as Director. Helen will be working in the Economics and Planning Policy (EPP) team, expanding capacity and offering specialist advice supporting clients across the development arena.

The EPP team can analyse and advise on the most complex challenges relating to development and regeneration. They have a strong track record of delivering robust evidence, strategic advice and critical thinking across a range of services including Local Plans, 5 Year Housing Land Supply, Employment Land Reviews, Economic Benefit Assessment, Demographic Assessment, advice on planning applications and appeals and acting as Expert Witness at public inquiries.

Helen is a chartered town planner with over 18 years’ experience in the planning/economics industry. She has a mix of both private and public sector experience and has a good understanding of the pressures and challenges facing both sectors. She has spent the last 9 years working in consultancy advising on policy and economics for a range of public and private sector clients including MHCLG, Homes England, numerous local planning authorities and a range of developers and landowners. Prior to this she spent 9 years working in local authority planning policy teams specialising in evidence base production.

Alex Roberts, Head of the Economics & Planning Policy team, added: “The need for expert advice to support decision making through the planning system has never diminished, with the proposed changes to national planning policy and the emphasis placed on Local Planning Authorities to prepare new Local Plans responding to higher housing requirements and enabling economic growth, will only emphasise this need even more.”

Commenting on her appointment, Helen Reid said: “I am very excited to be joining the growing team at LSH and am looking forward to bringing my experience to the team and learning from the great work they have already been doing”. 

The EPP comprises planners and surveyors sitting based across the country, and recently acted as expert witness at a public inquiry, helping Woodhall Homes win an appeal in Ashbourne. Evidence was presented on housing mix and 5 Year Housing Land Supply. They also supported Richborough Commercial who recently submitted a planning application in North Warwickshire for strategic scale commercial development, with LSH undertaking a review of the sub-regional evidence base on Employment Need and Supply.

The EPP team have recently completed a range of projects with Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council including preparing a review of the emerging Local Plan’s spatial options, Employment Need Assessment, Employment Land Review and preparing a 5 Year Housing Land Supply statement.