The Cardiff branch of national property consultancy, Bruton Knowles, has announced the appointment of a Senior Town Planner as the business continues to drive its growth strategy amidst record turnover results. 

Clare Taylor, who has more than 20 years’ experience in development planning policy, regeneration and development management, has joined Bruton Knowles as Associate Town Planner. Clare will be based at Bruton Knowles Cardiff office on Newport Road. 

The senior appointment is an important step for the property consultancy and its offer in the region. Clare Taylor will be responsible for major planning projects across Wales and the South West for Bruton Knowles client base. Clare’s role will involve creating proposals for new developments as well as examining long term plans on behalf of clients. 

Clare’s experience includes overseeing large scale strategic planning projects, ranging from the production of statutory development plans, to the preparation and submission of planning applications and Environmental Impact Assessments for major infrastructure projects, including hazardous waste and thermal energy facilities. 

Specialising in infrastructure and utility planning, Clare has spoken on behalf of clients at planning committee meetings and acted as an expert witness during planning appeals, hearings and inquiries. Prior to joining Bruton Knowles, Clare was responsible for leading the UK Planning, Permitting and Environmental Impact Assessment team for global engineering design consultancy, Stantec. 

James Bailey, Managing Partner, Bruton Knowles said: “We are delighted that Clare Taylor has joined the Bruton Knowles team. Clare brings a huge amount of experience to Bruton Knowles and is obviously very passionate about what she does. Her wealth of knowledge and understanding of the planning sector is a huge asset to us and we look forward to working with her greatly. 

“Clare joins at an exciting time for Bruton Knowles as we continue to expand both regionally and nationally. This comes off the back of an exceptional year for Bruton Knowles, celebrating a record turnover of £13.85m. We are constantly looking at where Bruton Knowles can add value to our existing clients and where we can grow our client base. Clare’s experience will undoubtedly be an attraction for clients both in Wales, the South West and indeed across the country.”

Clare Taylor, Associate Town Planner, Bruton Knowles adds: “I am incredibly proud to join Bruton Knowles and look forward to extending the planning offer into Wales. It’s a really positive time to join the business which is being pro-active in terms of growth and expanding the team. Now is also an exciting time for the industry as infrastructure and its development continues to dominate the news agenda. With the recent announcement that the government plans to bring forward its national infrastructure strategy, I look forward to helping clients navigate the new opportunities this may bring.” 

Clare is a Chartered Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute and Practitioner Member of Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment. She is currently Vice Chair for Royal Town Planning Institute Cymru Policy and Research Forum and also volunteers for the charity, Planning Aid, advising members of the public on planning matters. 

Bruton Knowles is an independently-owned national property consultancy with 12 offices across the UK. Its large multi-disciplinary team is highly experienced in sale and purchase, valuation, leasing and strategy across commercial, rural and urban property, and has specialist expertise in utilities, public sector and social housing.