Knight Frank has appointed planning specialist David Churchill as a partner in its planning team.
Churchill, who has more than 25 years of experience, joins Knight Frank from Carter Jonas where he was a planning partner. Prior to that, he worked for Iceni Projects, Firstplan, RPS Group and Brentwood Borough Council.
In his new role, he will be based in Knight Frank’s Baker Street headquarters and will report to Chris Benham, head of planning, London. Churchill will work closely with the firm’s planning and land agency teams across the UK, advising on a broad range of strategic land and development opportunities, with a particular focus on green belt, greenfield, urban extension and garden community projects.
Benham said: “David joins us at a hugely important time for our industry. With planning reform high on the agenda and local authorities, developers and landowners adapting to a rapidly evolving policy environment, clients need clear, commercially focused advice more than ever. David’s market standing and track record of securing major planning consents will strengthen our ability to provide high quality strategic land advice at a time of significant change across the sector.”
Charlie Hart, head of development land at Knight Frank, added: “We’re delighted to welcome David to Knight Frank. He’s highly regarded across the industry, and his planning expertise will be a tremendous asset to both our team and our clients. David’s appointment is particularly exciting because it will also enhance the way we work across our development land and rural asset management teams. With significant changes taking place in the planning system, including opportunities arising from green belt release, we will be well placed to identify opportunities, create value and deliver the best possible outcomes for our clients.”
