In its annual report and accounts published this week at Companies House, Montagu Evans has reported annual revenue and profit increases in its financial year to 31 March 2024.

Against a backdrop of continued economic uncertainty, the partnership reported revenue of £56.0 million and a statutory profit of £14.4 million in its last full financial year.

Revenue on continuing operations increased by £3.2 million to £51.6 million, representing 7% growth. The firm’s Planning and Advisory teams reported increases in income of 9% and 10%, respectively, with investment and growth in key areas. On 1 July 2024, the firm completed its divestment from Property Management.

Investment in the business in the 2023-24 financial year continued, with an increase in research and insight activity for clients, expanded sustainability capability and strengthening of operational infrastructure. DE&I and employee wellbeing remained a Board-level focus.

Three promotions to Partner were made at the start of the financial year, and recruitment of senior lateral hires continued, with appointments in Central London and data centre planning, Rating advisory for occupiers and I&L sector development/agency.

Statutory profit increased by £0.3 million year-on-year to £14.4 million. The average member’s remuneration increased by 5% to £353k, with the highest-earning member earning £676k. Company-wide bonuses awarded to staff were up by 6%.

Working across the public and private sectors, Montagu Evans’ clients range from government departments, Homes England, NHS Property Services, the GLA, Network Rail, TfL, local authorities and NHS Trusts to CBRE IM, Aviva, L&G and Columbia Threadneedle, LandSec, British Land, SEGRO, Commercial Estates Group, St William and Taylor Wimpey.

In London, it is heritage adviser for M&S Marble Arch, which was given the green light by the new MHCLG Secretary of State earlier this month, and provided planning, advisory and leasing advice for Network Rail’s Bow Goods Yard scheme in Stratford, which was approved earlier this year. It is currently advising on future plans for Earls Court/Olympia, Shoreditch Works, Orchard Wharf, the Royal Albert Dock and the British Museum, among others.

In Liverpool, Montagu Evans has launched the search for a new development partner for Festival Gardens. Further north, it was a planning consultant for The Àrd PBSA in Glasgow, one of Scotland’s tallest buildings, and has been instructed for planning on Scotland’s first ever Centre Parcs, south of Edinburgh.

Outgoing Managing Partner Rob Bower, said: “The growth of this partnership during my tenure, its resilience in tough times, commitment to its people and ability to support clients across their most challenging planning and development requirements is something I am immensely proud of.

“We have continued to build on our market-leading town planning and heritage reputation, and we have also built a stand-out advisory business – both transactional and consultancy. We are now streamlined into areas where we have the scale, critical mass, connections and depth of experience to deliver market-leading advice to our clients, who remain front and centre of all that we do.

“There are clear opportunities ahead. Financially, we are performing well and it is the right point in the cycle to invest, backed by Partners who have provided millions of pounds in new capital in the last quarter. Building on our strong position with more Partners and greater expertise, we will ensure that, as the business moves forward under new leadership, we continue to offer the strategic thinking, commerciality and responsiveness the market has come to expect.”

Current Head of Advisory, Alan Harris will become the firm’s tenth Managing Partner from 1 April 2025. The firm’s leadership transition programme is well underway and recruitment of senior people in key strategic areas of the business continues.

Montagu Evans has announced its first new Partner under major investment, growth and recruitment plans announced this month.

Strategic occupier advisory specialist for the industrial and logistics sector, Kieran Webber, has joined the partnership to lead the I&L occupier advisory side of the business, with further investment from the firm to grow its team and increase its service offering to occupier clients.

Previously a Director in JLL’s UK I&L team, Kieran provides tenant representative advice and operates across the UK with local/regional, national and international clients. He previously set up and headed the Acquisitions and Occupier Services team at Page Hardy Harris.

At Montagu Evans, he becomes part of the now 30-strong industrial and logistics team and will focus on working with occupiers on acquisitions of existing buildings, build-to-suit opportunities and land. Kieran will also provide occupier clients with strategic advice on their property portfolios to include disposals, consolidation projects, UK-wide expansion rollouts,  implementing new property strategies following mergers & acquisitions, and identifying opportunities to raise capital.

The firm advises major landlords, funders, developers and occupiers, providing a range of services, including capital markets, agency, development and lease advisory, as well as planning, heritage and townscape, valuation and rating. It is active across the country, with a particular focus on London and the M25, including last mile, multi-let industrial, mid-box, trade counters, self-storage and data centres.

Tom Paton-Smith, Partner and head of Montagu Evans’  Industrial team said: “We expect continued growth in the I&L sector, not just because it remains an attractive asset class worldwide but because the challenges the UK and specifically London is facing are directly supported by our skillsets.

“Our team has developed to become a major force in the London industrial market, and now is the right time to grow. We want to make the most of the many opportunities ahead as the markets improve.

“Kieran is the first of a number of appointments Montagu Evans expects to make in the months ahead, with more joiners, as well as internal promotions, to follow at all levels of the partnership.

“With new financial investment thanks to recent capital raising for growth, we see additional opportunity in resi/living markets, London planning and public sector advisory, in addition to industrial & logistics. The business is in a strong and exciting position going into 2025.”

Kieran Webber, Partner at Montagu Evans, added: “Occupier sentiment remains resilient, but driving efficiency is paramount, both from a financial and environmental perspective. The use of automation is expanding, as are environmental efficiency requirements, resulting in a focus on best-in-class/new assets with great ESG credentials and power connectivity, enabling occupiers to secure future-proofed properties.

“I’m looking forward to being part of a collaborative team providing enhanced advice underpinned by strategic thinking to support our clients in making the most of these opportunities.”

I can’t easily put down in words how much I’ve enjoyed being the Managing Partner (MP) of this great firm, one of the few larger, true LLPs left in our industry. We see talented people who are keen to join or return to this true partnership culture knocking on our doors every day – long may that continue!

Since 2014, when I started as MP, Montagu Evans has grown on average at just under 10% each year. During this period, we have continued to build on our market-leading town planning reputation, but we have also built a fabulous advisory business – both transactional and consultancy – that now works hand-in-glove with our 120-strong planning, heritage & townscape team as we help to solve some of our clients’ thorniest planning and development challenges.

Having decided to retire from the firm after 10 years in the MP role and 30 years with the Partnership to enjoy some time travelling, skiing and exploring (before I’m too old!), the transition to new leadership is gathering pace. Alongside this, the Partnership has set out its initial plans for future growth from our current, strong platform.

Now is the right time to invest. Firstly, we are at the right point in the cycle, and we want to make the most of the many opportunities ahead as the market starts to improve.

Second, our clients have been telling us to grow where we are strong and to invest further to support them as they look to grow their businesses.

Thirdly, because successful partnerships like ours are built on the genuine interest we take in our people, we want to grow to create room for progression and promotions. However, we also have plenty of room – in our areas of strength – for new talent to join us.

Right now, we see additional opportunities in resi/living markets (land, capital markets and student), industrial & logistics (urban, data, open storage), London planning (City of London, Southbank and areas/boroughs with strong transport links) and public sector advisory, with other areas no doubt likely to come to the fore in the future. These growth areas touch all three departments in the firm.

We are investing in these areas right now, and we intend to recruit as well as support our existing teams with promotions and organic growth.

Two Partner appointments have been made very recently – details of the first will follow in the next week – and we expect more new joiners at all levels to follow. Our partnership structure is attractive, and we already have the capacity and infrastructure in place, having disposed of our Property Management business earlier this year.

The Partners who own the business are committed to these plans and have, in the last few weeks, agreed on a significant financial investment to support this additional growth, providing millions in new capital. Whilst some in the industry remain burdened with debt or talk the talk on expansion whilst lacking the financial means to make it a reality, our Partners have stepped up and committed. Our competition seems focused on diversifying service lines, whilst our strategy is to invest in expertise and depth in the areas we are known for.

It has been important to me, personally, to leave the Partnership in as strong a position as possible. This is the final big step to support the incoming leadership and the rest of the business before I step back from the Partnership at the end of March next year, and I am pleased to be able to share this update at this point.

The prospect of more resource, more expertise and more insight, building on our current, resilient position, is exciting and gives our clients even more support at this key time of recovery. Not every business is in the fortunate position of having such long-term investment behind it, and we are looking forward to the new opportunities ahead.

Montagu Evans has appointed Partner, Bhavini Shah, as its new Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

She begins her new role this month, drawing on a decade of experience in the partnership as a healthcare property specialist in its Advisory team and longstanding DE&I advocate. Previous roles at the firm include Partner sponsor for Open Circle, Montagu Evans’ internal network for ethnically diverse employees, and DE&I committee member for the last four years.

Bhav will develop a DE&I strategy that will engage and integrate deeply with the firm’s objectives, using data and insight gathered through engagement with team members, clients and industry stakeholders. Montagu Evans’ Corporate Responsibility report, combining Sustainability and DE&I for the first time, will be published in the autumn.

Reporting to Vicky Thompson, Director of HR and member of the Montagu Evans’ Executive Committee, Bhav will work alongside Head of Sustainability Oli Pye as well as the firm’s Managing Partner and other groups, including Open Circle, Enable:ME and ME:Pride. Externally, RICS, RTPI, We Rise In, PREACH Inclusion, Real Estate Balance and Freehold remain important partners.

Alan Harris, Head of Advisory and incoming Managing Partner, at Montagu Evans said: “With a clear understanding of our partnership based on 10+ years’ progression and experience, Bhav has advocated a bold and systematic approach to furthering our DE&I strategy. She will provide clear direction, inspire the business and ensure our Partnership makes progress in this important area. Many at Monties know her to be an authentic and passionate  leader and she has everyone’s full support in this new role.”

Bhav Shah, Head of DE&I at Montagu Evans, said: “A number of years of leaning into the DE&I space in conjunction with my role as a surveyor, made me realise there was a passion for inclusion that could become a larger part of my working life. With a strong commercial understanding, my vision is to create an authentically inclusive and equitable workplace where everyone can bring their best selves to work. I will use my lived intersectional experience, combined with internal and external stakeholder engagement, to support these goals as part of this new opportunity for change.”

Montagu Evans has this week welcomed its 2024 early careers cohort.

Two apprentices and thirteen graduates will work across the partnership’s key areas, from planning and historic environments to advisory and agency roles. This includes three former apprentices who have completed their three-year journey and transitioned into the 2024 graduate scheme. For the first time, two graduates will pursue the planning and development pathway to provide a wide grounding in two of the partnership’s specialist areas.

This year’s graduates are: Anna Thomas, Charlotte Salt, Ellana Woodley, Elsa Camara, Finlay Johnman, Holly Niemy, Jack Winterton, James Harding, Jamil Saiyed, Luke Ralph, Milo Herbert, Ted Drayson and Tommy Cooney.

This year’s apprentices are: Abdullah Malik and Rickayla Williams.

With dedicated support in the form of managers, mentors and ongoing training, all are continuing a qualification pathway, with an established programme in place to help their ongoing development.

Cherise Thornicroft, Early Careers Manager at Montagu Evans, said, “We believe in welcoming new talent into the partnership at every level, fostering a collaborative environment where fresh ideas and thinking thrive. These young professionals from a wide range of disciplines will now start robust, market-leading programmes to support their career development and we look forward to seeing the impact they’ll make in their new roles.”

In addition to these graduate and apprentice appointments, Montagu Evans offered twelve summer intern places this year, including students from the 10,000 Black Interns programme, as well as others applying through its website. The internship provided interns with a wide grounding in the partnership’s specialist areas.

https://www.montagu-evans.co.uk/careers/

Montagu Evans has announced Alan Harris as its new Managing Partner, following Rob Bower’s decision to retire from the Partnership on 31 March 2025 after ten years in the role.

Currently head of Montagu Evans’ Advisory Department, he will become the firm’s tenth Managing Partner since its founding in 1921. The appointment runs for an initial four-year term from 1 April 2025.

With a background in development consultancy and a focus on complex, mixed-use projects often in town centres, Alan works with local authorities, public bodies, developers and institutional investors, progressing regeneration programmes with a slant towards capital strategies. He has headed the Partnership’s town centre and public sector groups and helped develop the firm’s growth strategy including relocation to the City of London in 2019. He joined its Executive Committee in 2014 and was appointed Head of Advisory in 2022.

Rob Bower said: “Alan is a longstanding Partner at the firm and a proven leader of the business. He has already been a major part of our success and growth to date and is well-known across the industry. I’m delighted he is the Partnership’s next Managing Partner, and I look forward to watching the firm go from strength to strength over the next four years and beyond.

“Alan and I will now be working side-by-side until March 2025 – focussed on clients, Partners and staff to understand their priorities and focus on further growth and opportunity in the five years ahead. Meanwhile, it’s very much business as usual for our planning, advisory and transactional teams. Activity remains strong, and major instructions continue to come in as we strengthen our planning and development focus in both the public and private sectors.”

Alan Harris, incoming Managing Partner at Montagu Evans, said: “This is a fantastic business with exceptional people. From the day I set foot here 23 years ago, I have been proud to be part of its journey and growth.

“Rob has been an outstanding Managing Partner for the last decade and I’ve enjoyed working closely with him to help grow the Partnership.

“Being elected by my peers as the tenth Managing Partner is a great honour. I am truly proud to be given this opportunity to work with all our Partners to build on what we already have within the business and to capitalise on the ambition that I see every day across all generations of the Partnership.”

Longstanding clients of Montagu Evans include abrdn, Aviva Investors, Barratts, CBRE IM, Crown Estate, London Square, Regal London and SEGRO, as well as Homes England, the NHS, Network Rail, DIO, TfL and a number of London and UK-wide local authorities. The Partnership is currently advising on regeneration schemes including Camden Film Quarter; Bow Goods Yard, Orchard Wharf and Royal Albert Dock in East London; Festival Gardens in Liverpool, and other major sites nationwide – from estate regeneration to major new settlements. It has recently helped to secure planning approval for landmark sites, including the former WWII Kingsway Tunnels, significant new homes at Westfield London and major commercial space close to Stansted Airport, as well as providing historic environment and townscape consultancy for projects, including the Grade II listed gasholders repurposing in Bromley-by-Bow and Smithfield market in Birmingham.

 

Planning and development consultancy Montagu Evans has appointed Partner Dr Timur Tatlioglu to head its Historic Environment and Townscape team.

Sitting within the partnership’s Planning Department, the market-leading team comprises experts in heritage, urban design, and townscape matters who advise on complex development that often affects sensitive contexts in the built environment.

Acting for private developers as well as public bodies and charities in the education, arts and museum sectors, the team has a large portfolio of work across the UK with a focus on Greater London. It provides authoritative commercial advice informed by robust assessment, analysis of planning policy, and a dedicated research function.

Key projects range from extending the British Museum and bringing the Grade II* listed Victoria Palace Theatre back to life for the Hamilton production, as well as advising on major schemes, including the redevelopment of the Marks & Spencer flagship Oxford Street store; the National Holocaust Memorial adjacent to the Palace of Westminster; the 55 Bishopsgate tall building in the City of London and a landscape-led masterplan for Highgate Cemetery. The team recently advised Westfield on a major new residential scheme in West London; Lendlease on the £1.9bn regeneration of Birmingham’s Smithfield market; and St William on the transformation of the Bromley-by-Bow listed gasholder site in East London.

The team’s seven Partners form part of a 25-strong group overall, and includes Dr Chris Miele who founded the service line in the late 2000s. It has recently expanded with the appointment of Paul Kesslar-Lyne, who has rejoined the firm as an Associate.

Craig Blatchford, Partner and Head of Planning at Montagu Evans, said: “This team has unmatched experience and expertise in the heritage and townscape arena, specialising in high profile and complex projects that require experience to deliver. It understands how those places work, how they can be adapted, and how to achieve a deliverable and sustainable future.

“We are pleased to announce Timur as the new head of the team. With considerable experience and a track record of leading high-profile projects, he has the vision to drive the growth of this truly stand-out group of professionals.

“We also thank Chris Miele for his continued, outstanding contribution to the partnership. He is a true expert in his field, and I am pleased that he will continue in his current role providing exceptional advice for major clients of the business.”

Dr Timur Tatlioglu, Partner at Montagu Evans, added: “Our team has become synonymous with helping clients navigate challenging sites in often highly sensitive locations. This has been made possible by our expertise, the blend of long experience and academic rigour, and the commercial acumen that comes from being part of a wider property consultancy. It will be a privilege to lead such a successful team, having been part of the group for over a decade.”

For more information, please visit our dedicated Historic Environment and Townscape website area here.

 

There are few urban development sites in the UK – let alone in London – that offer up to 400,000 sq m of new development space in a single cleared site, but the 30-acre (12ha) Royal Albert Dock  opportunity, coming to market this year, is that rare example.

The Greater London Authority (GLA), advised by Montagu Evans, is seeking an innovative master development partner to deliver a transformational new employment-led, mixed-use vision as London moves Eastwards.

The scope is broad, the opportunity significant. High-value growth sectors – green technology, data-driven uses and digital economy businesses could all have a place here – as could sport, leisure and cultural production – or light-industrial and manufacturing, logistics, workspace and education.

Combining a range of new and more traditional uses within the site is possible too, unlocking growth sectors through a resilient and diversified economic offer.

Key to the success of the project will be the bringing together of public and private sector stakeholders in a long-term partnership to secure the site’s legacy with the right team, experience and skills to deliver a transformational new place.

The stage is already set.

Royal Albert Dock is part of a priority growth area for the GLA. Approximately £5 billion of investment is planned for the area over the next 20 years providing 36,000 new homes and creating 55,000 new jobs across this historic part of East London. A new Royal Docks Delivery Plan (2024-2029) sets the vision and activities over the next 5 years, driving an ambitious programme of change and investment.

Significant road and rail infrastructure is already in place. Two DLR stations (Royal Albert DLR and Beckton Park DLR) are nearby, and the Elizabeth Line is 4 minutes away by DLR at Custom House.

Global connections are within easy reach too: London City Airport sits across the water, six minutes away by road.

Other major anchor institutions such as Tate & Lyle, ExCeL London and the University of East London are all located here, reinforcing the location as a strategically important economic centre for London. City Hall also relocated to the Royal Docks in 2022, signalling a substantial realignment of the city’s cultural, economic, and political centre of gravity.

And the site sits within the capital’s only Enterprise Zone, ensuring new business rates income generated will be reinvested in the area to support further economic activity and social value initiatives.

Above all there is an enthusiasm here to explore the range of possibilities that this large-scale, development-ready piece of the capital could achieve when it comes to employment-led regeneration  This is an opportunity to deliver growth and jobs, as well as new homes and cultural and leisure activity, at nationally-significant scale.

Procurement of a new development partner is being led by the Royal Docks Team (a joint initiative from the Mayor of London and the Mayor of Newham) on behalf of GLA Land and Property (GLAP) as freeholder.  More detail can be found here.

The Royal Docks Team and Montagu Evans will be attending UKREiiF from 21-23 May 2024.

 

Last year I set out to the firm that I would be standing down as Managing Partner at the end of March 2025, a decade after I first had the privilege of taking on this role.

I’m proud to have served nearly 30 years at Montagu Evans in all, a place I fondly recognise as my second home. However, this is the right time to hand over to the next generation of leadership at our fantastic partnership.

The process for electing my successor has begun, with the nominations process well underway. We expect to announce our new Managing Partner this summer, with the role formally starting on 1 April 2025 after a structured transition period.

Over the last year we have been working with external consultants, PSFI, to help shape the future of our business, taking into account all our partners’ views and the feedback we get every year from our clients.

We are one of the strongest LLPs in the UK real estate market and our focus on solving clients’ planning and development challenges has been a key part of that success.

Clients increasingly want the trusted advisor relationship that they get by working closely with partners who are passionate about what they do and which comes, in part, from having a stake in their own business. It’s a model that supports the very best talent who can shape their career as far as their ambitions will take them.

Being the Managing Partner in this type of true partnership is very different to the role of CEO or Managing Director at a corporate. As the first among equals, it’s about ensuring collaboration, consensus and bringing together a range of people and skills into a team where, together, we are stronger than the sum of our parts. And it’s this which sets Montagu Evans apart: collaboration and partnership is in our DNA.

As I look back, there’s a lot we can be proud of. In addition to our connected and collaborative approach, we’ve expanded significantly in 10 years, adding many talented people – from graduates through to partners. We have increased our emphasis on living, industrial/logistics and healthcare, particularly across London and Scotland, and we are delivering significant, transformative schemes across the country, thriving on complex and challenging opportunities where we can combine strategic approaches with specialist thinking – from major urban renewal and tall buildings to docks and airport-led regeneration to portfolio growth and asset repositioning. We’ve grown across both the public and private sectors and we are now one of the UK’s pre-eminent advisors for clients with planning and development challenges.

As with any leadership role, there have been some tough decisions to make too, with Brexit, Covid and the market downturn from mid-2022. We have had to get through challenging markets and unprecedented global upheaval, especially in the last few years and I suspect their impacts are not yet fully over. Changes to our business have never been made lightly and we continue to take sensible decisions that are in the best interest of our partnership as a whole and, notwithstanding short-term challenges, will set our leaders on a stronger course for the years ahead.

I’m sure that Montagu Evans will continue to evolve and succeed as we respond to new ways of working, new clients, new opportunities and many other ways to secure our legacy for another 100 years – and more.

And for me, these changes will mean the chance to recharge after an intense few years, and then to pursue a portfolio career within the real estate sector. There is still more to do.

Right now, though, we are focused on ensuring as little disruption as possible to our teams and clients as they continue to do what they do best and we set up the partnership for its next phase of growth. Change brings opportunity, and I’m looking forward to keeping in touch and seeing what our next generation has to offer as they build on our legacy further in the many years ahead.