Member Article

Entrepreneurial North East town planner launches own consultancy

Experienced town planner Karen Read, a former regional director with Signet Planning and partner at DPP, has launched her own consultancy - klr Planning Ltd.

Karen set up the consultancy in January and among other projects, has secured permission for an Aldi store in Thornaby on behalf of GMI Developments and is the lead consultant on the heritage-led redevelopment of the bus station site in Hexham town centre.

Karen is well known for her work in the North East town planning industry. She has led on a wide range of prestigious projects including the regeneration of Gateshead town centre a £150m project, and the £15m refurbishment of Monument Mall to provide an additional 14,000 square foot of retail floor space in the heart of Newcastle city.

Karen, a member of The Royal Town Planning Institute, said: “At the start of the year there were positive signs that activity in the commercial property market was picking up and many developers were looking to fast-forward projects that had been on hold over the last couple of years. This shift in the market convinced me to take the plunge and establish my own planning consultancy.”

Karen’s clients include Dysart Developments, who have been redeveloping the former Consett Steelworks 700-acre site as part of their joint venture with Durham County Council - Project Genesis.

Moreover, she has played an integral part in securing planning permission for the site’s new Tesco and Starbucks drive-thru, Tiger Bill’s restaurant, 1,000 new homes and business units.

Mike Clark, Development Director, Dysart, said: “Karen is a very experienced planning consultant whose insight into planning legislation and policy has always proved essential and whose guidance as a lead consultant has been effective in achieving planning consent for a number of our sites. She has always proven to be a very valuable member of any consultancy team.”

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