Bidwells has appointed Virginia Brewer as head of heritage to strengthen its planning and heritage consultancy services offer.
A chartered surveyor turned heritage specialist, Brewer started her career at King Sturge and later worked in acquisitions for major hospitality operators such as Scottish & Newcastle and Regent Inns.
She retrained in 2016 to specialise in architectural conservation and since then has worked on a broad range of high-profile heritage and planning projects, from Tower Bridge and The Dorchester and Lanesborough hotels, to the British Museum.
In her new role at Bidwells, she will lead the heritage team and help it to expand its remit beyond traditional heritage work to explore new opportunities in renewable energy infrastructure, strategic land and large-scale placemaking projects.
Brewer said: “Heritage should not be a barrier to development, but a catalyst for creating better, more meaningful places. In my new role, I want to demonstrate that heritage can be a powerful driver for progress and regeneration. My focus will be on showing how heritage and innovation can work together to shape environments for the better.”
Mike Derbyshire, head of planning at Bidwells, added: “Virginia’s arrival brings fresh expertise and perspective to our growing heritage team. Her deep understanding of both the commercial and conservation aspects of development will be an asset to our team. We’re delighted to welcome her.”
