Member Article

Lichfields Planner; The Best in The North West

LICHFIELDS’ Kirstie Hopcroft has been recognised as the best Young Planner in the North West.

Kirstie, who joined the Manchester office of the planning and development consultancy in 2014, will be presented with the award at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) North West’s annual award ceremony in the city, next month.

Over the last four years Kirstie, a Senior Planner with the firm, has notched up a strong portfolio which includes large-scale residential, commercial and logistics schemes.

These have included helping to deliver 800 homes for Bellway, including 300 homes for the company in Knowsley, last year

Some 2,500 homes on behalf for Countryside Properties - including the recent approval of 330 homes in the Lower Broughton area of Salford - and 720,000 sq ft of logistics space on behalf of db symmetry in Yorkshire.

Kirstie has also contributed to a key Lichfields report on behalf of the Land Promoters and Developers Federation which debunks land-banking claims.

She said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have been recognised by the RTPI with this award.

“It is a recognition of the progress I have made with the support and help of an excellent Lichfields team here in Manchester and across the country. I am hoping it will be the springboard to an exciting and fulfilling career with the firm.”
 The RTPI award aims to recognise qualified planners with less than 10 years experience. A spokesperson for the RTPI North West Region, said: “The judging panel was impressed with Kirstie’s contribution to planning in the North West.

“Her involvement and responsibility in some of the region’s largest planning schemes should be applauded for someone early in their planning career.

“The panel recognised Kirstie’s role in thought leadership through her involvement in drafting a paper assessing the role land promoters play in boosting housing land supply.  “Kirstie has shown a commitment to planning in her own time through the RTPI ‘Future Ambassador’ programme and giving CPD to other young planners.”

“She is clearly a role model for other young planning professionals.”
 As an RTPI ‘Future Ambassador’ Kirstie regularly speaks at school events to raise awareness of planning as a career; explaining how planners help shape the North West.

She also launched a series of seminars dubbed “Planning, Politics & Prosecco” for young property professionals in the North West, during which she regularly conducts a Q&A sessions with her peers.

Simon Pemberton, Senior Director, Head of the Lichfields’ Manchester office, said: “We are delighted with the progress Kirstie has made and this award is a fitting recognition of her accomplishments and testament to her outstanding skill set. It is a fantastic accolade and helps to illustrate some of the brilliant work that we do across the region.”


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