Carter Jonas expands its Masterplanning and Urban Design Offering with Key Hire in the East of England
Date of Article
Dec 13 2016

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Glen Richardson has been appointed to lead a new team based in Cambridge. His new role is set to bolster the continued growth of the firm’s specialist masterplanning and urban design practice throughout the Eastern regions, supported by the national team led by Conor Moloney.

Joining as an Associate Partner, Glen’s new role will fall within Carter Jonas’ Planning & Development practice. Working within both the private and public sector, Glen’s work will have a particular emphasis on housing developments and supporting local authorities. He will also be closely involved with some of the team’s existing strategic projects, such as regeneration strategies for Great Yarmouth and Sudbury, and housing schemes in Soham and at the Suffolk police headquarters site in Martlesham Heath.

Glen joins Carter Jonas from Cambridge City Council where he spent over twelve years as the Urban Design and Conservation Manager. He was responsible for design strategies for key sites, and heritage conservation, whilst also acting as the lead design negotiator for large-scale masterplan proposals.

Leading the Cambridge City Council’s design team, Glen helped negotiate the successful design and detail of several award winning schemes. ‘Abode’ in Great Kneighton and ‘Long Road’ in Clay Farm both received Housing Design Awards, while ‘Seven Acres’ - also in Great Kneighton - and ‘Trumpington Meadows’ were recognised at the Blue Ribbon Awards and the Evening Standards New Homes Awards, respectively.

Most notably, he led the preparation of the long-term development framework for the southern fringe of Cambridge. The project is delivering up to 4,000 homes, new schools, large areas of public open space and the new Cambridge Biomedical Campus, which itself includes the new headquarters for AstraZeneca UK and the New Papworth Hospital.

James Bainbridge, Head of Planning and Development, Carter Jonas, said: “In today’s economic and political climate, it is more important than ever for consultants to focus on delivering sensitive and effective development solutions that are tailored to the needs of each local area.

“Glen brings over 25 years’ experience in urban design and masterplanning and his unparalleled knowledge of Cambridge and the wider Eastern region make him the perfect addition to the team and help us build on existing public and private sector clients. His experience of working within the Council will also provide invaluable insight into the requirements for successful planning projects.

“Having worked with Glen on numerous projects over the years, we are confident that he will be an asset to Carter Jonas in his new role and continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Cambridge and the surrounding region.”

Glen Richardson, Associate Partner, Carter Jonas, said; “Cambridge has flourished over the past few years and is still growing at an impressive rate, so there is still plenty of work to be done to safeguard the city’s future. As the region as a whole continues to grow and develop, there is much to be done to ensure that the highest quality of development and regeneration is upheld.

“During my time at the Council, I worked closely with the Carter Jonas team, collaboratively pursuing strategic solutions for significant sites in the Eastern region to deliver successful, long term projects. It is a great opportunity to join such a progressive firm with talented professionals, whom I am lucky enough to already have built strong working relationships with.”

Glen is originally from Canada and holds a B.A in Urban Geography from McGill University, Montreal, and an MSc in Urban Design from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. In his spare time, Glen is a part-time musician and has been a DJ on public radio.

Carter Jonas’ masterplanning and urban design service forms part of the company’s in-house architecture and design practice Sutton Griffin Architects.