Montagu Evans’ Historic Environment and Townscape team has recently advised the Topland Group and Colico Living on a planning application approved by the City of Cardiff’s planning committee on the 11th April 2024. As part of this application, for a tall building predominantly of purpose-built student accommodation (585 beds), they had to study the intricate history of the city, its castle, and its civic centre.

Cardiff skyline from the keep [Source: Montagu Evans]

Cardiff Castle dates back to the Roman period in AD55-60. Successive phases of the castle’s development followed, including the construction of a motte and bailey after the Norman invasion in 1081. The stone keep from this period survives today, with panoramic views of the Cardiff skyline achieved from its summit. The castle was expanded, altered and rebuilt in the centuries following as it passed from owner to owner, each leaving their own unique mark. The castle was updated substantially in the 19th century by the celebrated architect William Burges (1827-1881), who reimagined the medieval building into a contemporary home for John Crichton-Stuart, the third Marquis of Bute.  Burges’ reimagination of Cardiff Castle was as a vast ‘Gothic Playhouse’ which began in 1865. He was involved up until his death in 1881. The substantial Clock Tower (designed in 1866) in the south-west corner of the castle wall is the most dominant exterior feature and acts as a landmark along Castle Street. However, Burges’ interior designs are particularly striking and notable. With the investment of Bute – reputedly the wealthiest man in the world and heir to a substantial fortune – Burges rebuilt Cardiff Castle with ‘opulent interiors rich in symbolism and narrative art recalling the work of the pre-Raphaelite painters’, of which there were in total 17 rooms and designed interiors, cresting with the rib vaulted smoking room in the clock tower.

Cardiff Castle – 1921 [Source: Wales Online]

Cardiff Castle stands today as one of the finest examples of the playfulness of the Gothic Revival and embodies the High Victorian era, displaying perhaps the most elaborate ensemble of 19th-century ornamentation to be found anywhere in the country; it is understood as a pair with the romantic vision of Castle Coch, located to the north of the city and see from the medieval keep.

The keep at Cardiff Castle (left), Cardiff Castle interior (right) [Source: Montagu Evans]

The Cathays Park Civic Quarter, to the north of the site and castle, is a piece of city development which was constructed in the early 1900s as a grand Civic Centre. It includes key landmark buildings within the city, including the City Hall, the National Museum and Gallery of Wales, Law Courts and Cardiff University. The land was formerly the site of a Georgian mansion, built for the 1^st Marquess of Bute and was sold by the Bute family to the Council in 1898 to provide a cultural, educational and recreational space and to obtain land to place a new town hall. The buildings were built throughout the early 20^th century by various architects who won competitions to design the principal buildings. One such individual was Edwin Rickards (1872-1920), a flamboyant Edwardian architect who won the competition to design the City Hall and is known for other buildings, including Deptford Town Hall. The buildings within the Civic Centre are laid out along clearly defined north-south and east-west axis’, arranged around three main open spaces within the core of the Civic Centre.

Cardiff Civic Centre [Source: Montagu Evans]

The Civic Centre is nationally recognised as a significant example of civic urban planning. Each of the buildings has its own architectural identity and style, but together, they form part of a cohesive group. The scale and grandeur of the buildings represent Cardiff’s industrial success throughout the 19^th century, which brought prosperity to the city.

Each phase of Cardiff’s long and varied history is evident in its urban fabric and contributes to its narrative of regeneration, which makes it one of the most nationally important cities in Great Britain. This is evidenced by its highly significant collection of built heritage.

Our Historic Environment and Townscape Team visited Cardiff last year as part of their involvement in the redevelopment of Friary House, Greyfriars Road in the centre of the city. The 28-storey element of the scheme would be visible from within Cardiff’s Castle’s walls and within the Civic Centre. As such, our work comprised the assessment of the visual change to the settings of the above heritage assets while also separately focusing on the benefits to the townscape character and visual amenity that the development, designed by ECE Westworks architects, will bring to Cardiff.

Final image below: Skyline showing the proposed development [Source: Nicholas Pearson Associates]

 

On 1st March 2023, the High Court (J Lieven) quashed the Secretary of State’s (July 2023) decision to refuse planning permission for the redevelopment of Marks and Spencer’s store on Oxford Street.

Montagu Evans acted as Historic Environment and Townscape advisers.

M&S succeeded on five of the six grounds of challenge:

1. The Secretary of State’s statement that “there should generally be a strong presumption in favour of repurposing and reusing buildings, as reflected in paragraph 152 of NPPF [now para 157] was a misinterpretation of the NPPF and an error of law; there is no such presumption;

2. The Secretary of State unlawfully failed to explain why he disagreed with his Inspector’s conclusion that there was no viable and deliverable alternative to the proposed scheme;

3. The Secretary of State unlawfully failed “to grapple with the implications of refusal and the loss of the benefits and thus departure from important Development Plan policies;

4. The Secretary of State unlawfully failed to provide adequate reasons for concluding (in disagreement with the Inspector) that the harm to the vitality and viability of Oxford Street would be “limited if M&S’s scheme (or an alternative) were not delivered;

5. The Secretary of State’s erred through a factual error and by a misinterpretation of development plan policy on carbon. The judgment confirms that offsetting requirements in the London Plan are in relation to operational carbon, and not embodied carbon. J Lieven found that the misinterpretation may have led the Secretary of State to draw a different conclusion than he would have done otherwise.

Timur Tatlioglu, Chris Miele, Nick Pond and Helen Marrison advised for Montagu Evans.

Congratulations to Marks and Spencer and its legal team, Russell Harris KC and Heather Sargent, as well as Roy Pinnock, Megan Forbes and Melanie Blanchard at Dentons.

The full judgment is here: https://assets.caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewhc/admin/2024/452/ewhc_admin_2024_452.pdf

Image Credit: Marks and Spencer

 

Planning and development consultancy Montagu Evans has further increased its planning capability with the appointment of Mark Gibney as Partner.

The former Head of Planning at Avison Young’s London office joins the partnership this week with a focus on supporting new and existing clients to leverage opportunities across the capital, particularly within the outer London boroughs.

A specialist in major projects, primarily in housing and regeneration, Mark has 30+ years of experience in securing permission for numerous high-profile projects, including high-density, mixed-use and tall building developments. He maintains strong links with public sector organisations and undertakes expert witness work, including local inquiries and litigation.

At Montagu Evans, he will focus on working with housebuilders, landowners, investors, developers and public sector clients, collaborating with specialists in other disciplines, including the historic environment and townscape, agency, advisory and viability.

This is the latest appointment in the growth of Montagu Evans’ planning capability. In the past year, it has appointed a further 14 new recruits to the team, of which six, including Partner Rachel Crick and Emma Gill (Associate), focus on planning and development projects in the capital. Colin Sinclair (Associate) and Tiahna Joshi (Planner) have joined the company’s housing and land planning team, and Ashley Collins has joined as Partner specialising in commercial planning, including data centres, life sciences and industrial/logistics.

Craig Blatchford, Head of Planning at Montagu Evans, said: “Mark will build on our existing borough specialisms and step up our expertise in other key geographies across London to support clients bringing forward a wide range of schemes. His skill set, connections and local knowledge, especially in the outer boroughs and particularly around residential-led schemes, stand out, and his enthusiasm for supporting our next generation of planners will be hugely valuable as the team grows further in the months ahead.

Mark Gibney, Partner at Montagu Evans, added: “I have known and respected the Montagu Evans team for many years, not just from projects across London, but through its work across a wide range of sectors. In particular, I have regularly worked in tandem with its specialist heritage and townscape partners to deliver success for shared clients. Its collaboration, strong sense of partnership and commitment to supporting team members are all important factors as I take on this new role and get back to working closely with clients and supporting their plans.

Mark is a member of the RTPI.

 

National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) is a time to shine a spotlight on the invaluable role apprenticeships play in shaping the future workforce. With this year’s theme being ‘Skills for Life,’ the focus is on the significance of apprenticeships in gaining skills that extend far beyond the workplace. It is a celebration of the commitment to lifelong learning, personal growth, and professional development, providing them with the tools they need for a successful and fulfilling career journey.

At Montagu Evans, we offer a five-year apprenticeship in Partnership with the University of Westminster. Apprentices rotate between departments, gaining a complete experience, where time is split between studies, one day per week, which will be delivered online until classroom learning resumes and our offices (and virtually), four days per week. For the final two years, our apprentices automatically join our graduate rotation programme, where they work towards completing their APC to become RICS qualified.

To celebrate NAW, we asked some of our apprentices about their experiences so far, why they would recommend taking an apprenticeship and how they feel apprentices are enhancing the organisations they work for. We also chatted with Lucy, an apprentice mentor, and Jess, our early careers coordinator.

JUSTIN PARKER – APPRENTICE SURVEYOR

“I would recommend a Degree Apprenticeship to anyone who wishes to benefit from entering a real business environment and gaining a recognised qualification. You develop skills for life and hands-on experience directly relevant to your chosen career path which going to university alone cannot provide.

Since joining Montagu Evans in September 2022, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as an apprentice. I feel valued and supported by everyone, and I am pleased to have been entrusted with responsibility at a higher level than I first imagined. I feel that apprentices bring a diversity of thought and positivity into an organisation.

AARON SINGH – APPRENTICE SURVEYOR

“There are multiple reasons why a degree apprenticeship appealed to me, but the main one was the ability to merge my academic learning from university with the projects/tasks I work on in the workplace. This helps bolster my knowledge, skills, and experience of my desired career.

Since joining Montagu Evans in September 2022, I have been supported in the transition from sixth form to a professional working lifestyle by all the team and was eased into the process. The culture of Montagu Evans allows you to have a great work-life balance and overall enjoy the work you do.

Apprentices are helping to diversify teams and bring new perspectives to projects from a younger mindset. Our hands-on experience contributes to the firm’s success and growth, which provides great self-achievement.

ELLANA WOODLEY – APPRENTICE SURVEYOR

“The main benefit of employing apprentices is introducing fresh talent and ideas to the business, where you can align training to the company’s specific business needs as well as upskilling existing employees. It can also boost staff loyalty and motivation due to the relationships formed and the business familiarity.

More specifically for ME, the scheme offers apprentices to gain experience in up to 7 different departments of the business. By the end of the 5 years, apprentices will have a great understanding of the business as a whole, which is beneficial in the long run in regard to referrals and collaboration. Additionally, it allows the apprentice to identify their strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes in the business. As a result, their department selection at the end of the apprenticeship process is likely to be a more secure decision, thus further increasing staff loyalty and motivation.?

LUCY MUIR – SENIOR SURVEYOR AND MENTOR

“The Apprenticeship Scheme that we offer at Montagu Evans is a fantastic programme which opens up opportunities for individuals from non-traditional academic backgrounds to start their careers within the real estate industry. Apprentices bring innovation and diversification to the firm, infusing fresh perspectives, enthusiasm, and a drive for learning in the workplace. Their presence not only fuels growth but also encourages a culture of resilience, adaptability, and collaboration, which helps us to be a thriving and dynamic organisation.?

JESS FREEMAN – EARLY CAREERS COORDINATOR

“I love seeing our Apprentices go from strength to strength and having such a successful start to their career. Our Apprentices are highly valued members of our organisation, contributing to the success of the teams they work with. Not only this, but they contribute to the wider business outside of the day job, most notably by taking an active role in our FutureGen Network.?

[Our Apprentices photographed: Louie Earle-Davis, Aaron Singh, Jack Winterton, Ellie Smith, Anna Mido, Justin Parker. Not pictured, Ellana Woodley and Jamil Saiyed].

As National Apprenticeship Week unfolds, let’s reflect on the theme ‘Skills for Life’ and the profound impact apprenticeships have on individuals and organisations. The skills acquired during apprenticeships are not just for the workplace; they are tools that individuals carry with them throughout their lives, contributing to personal growth, adaptability, and continuous learning. To learn more about these celebrations, you can visit the official NAW website here, and for further information on our early career careers, visit here.

 

Planning and development consultancy Montagu Evans has appointed Ashley Collins as a Partner in its 100-strong Planning team.

With over 15 years of commercial planning experience, most recently specialising in the data centre, industrial and logistics and life sciences markets, Collins joins the partnership following almost a decade at JLL, where he was a director in its Planning team.

At Montagu Evans, he will continue to focus on the commercial sector, providing strategic planning advice to developers, investors and landowners on the potential of sites in terms of new development opportunities and the repurposing of existing assets.

Craig Blatchford, Head of Planning at Montagu Evans, said: “Ashley is an accomplished commercial planner across the full spectrum of employment and retail sectors and one of the leading data centre planning specialists around. His collaborative nature fits well with Montagu Evans’ ethos, where we work closely with our advisory and transactional colleagues to ensure a strategic approach to overcome our clients’ planning and development challenges. We are very pleased to welcome him as the first of several new Planning team members of 2024, building upon our significant investment throughout 2023.

Ashley Collins added: “Montagu Evans places planning and development at the heart of its business and continues to grow and invest in its people and the services it provides. This, alongside its range of complementary planning specialisms, including heritage, townscape, viability and sustainability, was one of the key reasons for me joining the partnership. I’m looking forward to the new role.

Collins is a member of the RTPI.

 

Planning and development consultancy Montagu Evans has been appointed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), part of the Ministry of Defence, as its winning tenderer for Estate Management Professional Services (EMPS) under the Crown Commercial Services Framework Agreement.

Under the solus contract appointment, Montagu Evans will support the DIO in delivering major estate requirements equating to an annual portfolio requirement of up to 125 hectares per year that will drive productive use of the retained estate and release surplus land and assets to meet local, regional and national objectives. This includes:

• Delivery of agreed professional and technical services including a range of property acquisition and disposal advice across the DIO’s Business as Usual site (BAU) portfolio and across a range of military clients.
• The Reserve Estate Optimisation Programme (REOP), an additional optimisation programme across the volunteer estate utilised by the network of the UK’s regional Reserve Forces and Cadet Organisations The objective is to strategically identify, retain and invest in the Volunteer Estate to best meet Defence outputs and secure best value with a focus on the sale of surplus buildings and land for reinvestment back into the estate.
• Land Management Services (LMS), to provide effective management of the leasehold estate and support any landlord and tenant issues that might arise in rural and urban locations.

Montagu Evans will lead as the solus contractor with a wider professional sub-team including SWECO, Gleeds, Cascade, HLM Architects, Allsop and Fisher German, undertaking professional advisory work across the UK, including town planning advice, valuation and masterplanning, as well as technical advisory support for the disposal of surplus sites and wider estate and property management.

The appointment follows Montagu Evans taking on the role as the DIO’s Strategic Property Advisor (Lot 1 lead) since 2019, which is continuing alongside this new appointment.

Adrian Owen, Partner at Montagu Evans and lead for the appointment, said: “These are major real estate programmes and a significant appointment that will create value for the public estate and new opportunities for housing and other drivers of long-term economic and community benefit.

“Throughout our longstanding relationship with the DIO, we will be looking beyond physical site boundaries to consider local needs and drivers as well as wider commercial opportunities, and we will be embedding local engagement and social value targets firmly within our plans.

“The appointment also reflects Montagu Evans’ continued support for those that serve our country, which has been underlined by the partnership signing the Armed Forces Covenant. We are pleased to have been selected again by the DIO and the team is keen to get going.

Jenny Rydon, Partner at Montagu Evans and Head of its Strategic Advisory team, said: “The DIO is critical to ensuring our defence is operated from a quality, fit for purpose estate. This additional appointment solidifies our commitment to supporting DIO to maximise public sector assets in a timely way whilst considering the full impact and opportunity that can be brought forward.

“Given the complexity involved and sensitivity needed, our planning and development strengths are an important factor, and we are bringing together a wide range of specialists in our multidisciplinary team, with strong programme management, governance and a commitment to best value underpinning our entire approach.

Catherine Davies, Head of Estates for Defence Infrastructure Organisation, said: “We are pleased to be working with Montagu Evans to support our ongoing proactive management of the UK defence estate. Through the combined expertise of Montagu Evans and DIO’s Estate team, we will be able to take decisions about the future of MOD land more quickly and effectively, ensuring that our estate is optimised to best meet the future needs of the Armed Forces.

In the annual report and accounts registered this week at Companies House, the Montagu Evans partnership has reported annual revenue of £54.8 million and a statutory profit of £ 14.1 million for the financial year to March 2023.

On the back of challenging and industry-wide market conditions, the partnership has taken a long-term view and continued to invest in its business, including an increased headcount, extended ESG capability, new business information system and further improved IT infrastructure.

Revenue of £54.8 million was a 15% decrease against the previous year’s record financial performance. The firm’s Planning team recorded 5% year-on-year growth, however, with further investment in people and focus on Central London, Housing and Historic Environments and Townscape, including major schemes in Earl’s Court, Stansted and across the capital.

Statutory profit decreased in parallel by £8.9 million year-on-year to £14.1 million. Distributable profit for partners reduced accordingly by 36%, while the non-partner bonus pool covering all other staff reduced by less, 27%, to £4 million. The average distributable profit per partner was £337,000.

Rob Bower, Managing Partner of Montagu Evans, said: “Even with global volatility affecting every part of the sector, we have kept a clear focus on planning and development and a strong programme of recruitment, promotion and succession that will position us well for better times ahead.

“Coming off the back of a record-breaking year in 2021/2022, these numbers are clearly a disappointment, but we have decided to protect our people and avoid redundancies, focussing on maintaining high levels of client service with properly resourced teams. This latest down cycle will pass, and when it does, we will be very well positioned to immediately support our clients. It’s times like this when true partnership businesses show their strengths.

 

Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) has sold Meridian Leisure Park in Leicester to Greenridge Opportunities LP for £25 million, reflecting a yield of 8.50%. Montagu Evans advised the seller and Savills advised the buyer in this off-market transaction.

The prime East Midlands destination leisure park extends to 155,071 sq ft GIA across a 19.8-acre site southwest of Leicester City Centre, directly off the Leicester Ring Road (A563) and 1.5 miles from the M1 (J21). It is anchored by Vue Cinemas and Hollywood Bowl, with other occupiers including David Lloyd, Nando’s, Five Guys, Burger King, Pizza Hut and Frankie & Benny’s.

It has been owned by LGIM’s Leisure Fund since 2002, with a number of new leases and regears undertaken during this time. The park is 99% let with over half the income benefitting from rental indexation or fixed uplifts and a term certain of approximately 12 years.

Bik Bhuptani, Partner at Greenridge said: “We are excited about the addition of Meridian Leisure Park to our portfolio. This acquisition perfectly aligns with Greenridge Opportunities LP’s strategy of investing in high-quality, income-generating assets. The park’s robust tenant mix and prime location underscore our commitment to identifying and capitalising on unique opportunities in the leisure sector. We see significant potential for value creation and look forward to enhancing the park’s offering, further cementing its status as a key leisure destination in the East Midlands.”

Andrew Ferguson, Senior Fund Manager of the Leisure Fund at LGIM commented: “The leisure sector has been tested over the past few years in the face of wider economic challenges, particularly within the cinema market – however, good quality, well-managed leisure schemes in prime locations continue to remain resilient; Meridian Leisure Park is testament to this. As the sector is stabilising once again, with a positive pipeline of films over the next three to five years, we hope and expect to see a strong rebound for the cinema market. We’re pleased to have completed this transaction with Greenridge, allowing us to re-invest for new opportunities.

Edward George, Partner at Montagu Evans, said: “This is an exceptional transaction and an important benchmark for demonstrating liquidity in the sector. LGIM is one of a number of institutions looking to free up capital for new opportunities and portfolio-wide improvements, including ESG commitments. It sets the tone for a number of leisure park transactions expected over the next 12-18 months as the market recalibrates.

 

 

Planning and development consultancy Montagu Evans has appointed Mathilde Francois-Downey as Sustainability Manager.

Reporting into Head of Sustainability Oli Pye, Francois-Downey will work with colleagues to deepen and expand the sustainability and ESG advice the partnership provides to clients. She will also help support the delivery of Montagu Evans’ own corporate sustainability strategy, including its net zero carbon commitment and pathway. Montagu Evans’s cross-service initiatives, such as RetroFix, which is focussed on solving office obsolescence, will also be part of her brief.

Francois-Downey, who has spent her entire career working in the sustainability and ESG sector, joins from EVORA Global where she advised global real estate investment clients on their ESG programme development and implementation, including external reporting (in line with GRESB, EPRA, INREV), net zero carbon targets and pathway development (fund and asset level). Prior to this, she worked at Wood Group, supporting clients in the delivery of environmental impact assessments for infrastructure projects, and is qualified as a Practitioner of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (PIEMA).

Oli Pye, Partner and Head of Sustainability at Montagu Evans, said: “Mathilde is a great hire for Montagu Evans. With a background in both real estate investment ESG and environmental impact assessment, she has the rare skill of understanding both property ownership/operation and planning and development. This breadth of expertise aligns perfectly with Montagu Evans’ planning and development focus and range of services. We are delighted to welcome her to the team.

Montagu Evans is a member of Business Declares and Race to Zero.

 

Kent County Council (KCC), advised by Montagu Evans, is marketing its County Hall building, Sessions House in Maidstone.

The landmark building extends to around 230,000 sq ft next to Maidstone East railway station in the town centre. The building, designed by Sir Robert Smirke in the Greek Revival style, will be 150 years old next year and is located close to town centre retail, leisure and amenities, and sits less than two miles from the M20 and 5 miles from the M2. Its complex is currently in use as KCC’s offices and civic centre but is now surplus to requirements.

Peter Oakford, Kent County Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded Services, said: “For many years, long before the pandemic and the current financial pressures on local authority budgets, KCC has been considering the future of County Hall in Maidstone as its headquarters.

“It is a vast, historic building which has a significant presence in Maidstone. Unfortunately, parts of the building are almost 200 years old, and it no longer provides a modern workspace fit for delivering the Council’s services. In addition, following the pandemic, our staff are working more flexibly with many large areas of the building already mothballed and no longer utilised. At a time when KCC is under enormous financial pressure, the authority cannot meet an annual running cost of £2m pounds to maintain a building that requires a huge amount of modernisation.

“KCC will always have a presence in the County town of Maidstone, but following extensive stakeholder engagement and exploring options to increase revenue under our ownership, a decision has now been made to market test the whole of the building, with interested parties invited to submit proposals to lease or buy the property by the end of the year.

Sam Blake, Partner at Montagu Evans, added: “Sessions House has served Kent County Council and its constituents for many years, and the decision to bring the site to market has not been taken lightly, but with increasing pressures on the public purse, this is the right time to explore new opportunities. There is huge potential here to incorporate new uses into this landmark building – from new homes to event and flexible working space – and Kent County Council is open to commercial proposals that will secure its long-term future.

The Council is inviting offers for a long leasehold interest on the whole or any parts on an ‘All Enquiries’ basis by the beginning of December.

More information is available from Montagu Evans here.