LInternational property advisers, GVA Grimley has expanded its Scottish planning, development and regeneration (PDR) team by 60 per cent, following a merger with niche player, Mappin Planning & Development (MPD) to create the largest consultancy of its kind in the Scottish market. The new combined 16-strong team at GVA Grimley Scotland - incorporating the full complement of six MPD staff - will be split between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Its focus will be on planning, development and regeneration projects throughout Scotland, including mixed-use development, retail and residential for property developers, investors and the public sector. The merger comes hot on the heels of GVA Grimley's acquisition of Edinburgh-based building surveyors, Wright & Co, in April, which significantly strengthened the firm's building consultancy service.
Andy Carswell, partner in charge of GVA Grimley in Scotland, said: "As the firm continues to secure increased market share in Scotland, this merger is a further important piece of the jigsaw in our ambitious strategy of building our presence in key strategic areas. GVA Grimley already had the largest planning and urban regeneration capability across the UK and our enlarged Scottish team, as the market-leading force, will provide existing and new clients with unrivalled access to planning, development and regeneration advice and services."
Stephen Brown, national head of the PDR team, said the team's growth nationally has been phenomenal over the last year reaching a total of 134 professionals. He added: "The merger plays a key part in the continued expansion plan of gaining strength in depth in every region in which we operate."
Established by Gary Mappin in 1997, MPD, with offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow, has grown to become one of the strongest commercial planning outfits in Scotland, with an impressive client base of retailers, developers, investors, landowners, housebuilders and operators.
Richard Slipper, head of the PDR team within GVA Grimley Scotland, commented: "In my 16 years of running planning consultancy teams in the Scottish market, a key challenge has been building a convincing mixed skills team which can offer a full service to all clients throughout Scotland and beyond. I believe the combination of our team and that of Mappin Planning & Development enables us to achieve this goal as a result of our unsurpassed strength in all aspects of planning, development and regeneration."
Gary Mappin added: "This is a great move for MPD staff and clients. We have created a talented and enthusiastic team at MPD and are now looking forward to joining forces with Richard Slipper and his team at GVA Grimley. Existing and new clients can look forward to receiving exceptional advice and service from the leading planning team in Scotland."
Source: GVA Grimley
