DHA goes for growth after appointing 10 of the best

In a strong demonstration of confidence in demand for high-level planning advice, DHA, one of the South East’s largest independent planning and highways consultancies, has recruited six graduate planners, an apprentice, and added three people to its senior management team.

The graduates will join the company’s industry-leading in-house training scheme and be mentored by more senior colleagues across the planning disciplines delivered by DHA.

They will be based at DHA’s offices in Maidstone, Gatwick and London, and are a further sign of the company’s commitment to developing the future skills of the industry.

The appointments take DHA’s team of award-winning planning, transport, environmental and land consultants to more than 75, an increase of 15% over the last year.

Alex Hicken, Managing Director of DHA, said: “As a company we’ve always attracted a combination of planners with proven track records, as well as graduates and apprentices who will be the future of our industry.

“These appointments are all about helping DHA go from strength to strength and to continue to deliver planning successes for our clients, big or small, in a constantly evolving planning regime.”

At a senior level, DHA has appointed Hannah Young as Associate Director at its Gatwick office, which has seen a significant increase in demand for its planning services. She has joined from Iceni Planning, and prior to that she was the Strategic Sites & Delivery Team Leader for Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and also worked for Lichfields UK.

To support the rising demand for DHA’s transport planning advice, the firm has appointed Leon Shrewsbury as Associate Director. Joining DHA from Arup, Leon brings his 20+ years of project management and transport modelling experience on major infrastructure projects, including large scale housing masterplans, as well as for airports, retail, and railway redevelopment projects.

A key part of DHA’s work involves supporting landowners and it has appointed Paddy Good, a Chartered Surveyor and registered valuer, to its Land & Site Promotion team. Joining from BNP Paribas Real Estate, and prior to that Avison Young, he will be based at DHA’s Maidstone head office, but support colleagues in Gatwick and London.

DHA’s in-house graduate training programme helped see it awarded the title South East Planning Team of the Year by the industry’s governing body, the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).