Studio KMA Continues Growth with Recruitment of Planning Director

Steven Irvine of Studio KMA

As part of its continued expansion, Oldham based architects practice, Studio KMA, has recruited Stephen Irvine as Director of Town Planning based in Oldham.

Studio KMA, which expanded its traditional front end service to incorporate design delivery with the recruitment of Stuart Hadfield and Peter Fisk earlier this year based in Chester, now provides a full end-to-end service for clients.

Studio KMA’s design capabilities for planning applications is where the company made its name and the model which it followed at set up in 2012.

The recruitment of a planning specialist to work alongside the architectural team means that clients can now avail themselves of the whole service, meaning the journey can begin with land promotion to pre-planning, through to their extensive building design experience, then on to construction delivery.

Stephen is a highly respected, energetic and motivated town planner and planning, project and departmental manager of 29 years, with a track record of success in managing schemes from concept to completion and delivering large, important and sometimes difficult planning applications successfully.

He began his planning career at Westminster City Council before moving to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets where he worked on some of the most significant high density and tall building schemes in east London and Canary Wharf.

On returning home to the North West, he worked for Cheshire East Council, Litchfields and Oldham Council on a variety of housing and employment schemes, as well as successfully engaging in planning policy, site allocation and appeals work, and leading and managing various development management, planning policy, land charges and building control teams.

Stephen Irvine, newly appointed Director of Town Planning at Studio KMA said:

“The prospect of joining a practice that sees planning and architecture as two complementary pieces of the development process – something I’ve always argued passionately for - was an opportunity I just couldn’t turn down and it’s great to be working with such talented colleagues and forward thinking clients.”

Andrew Titterton, the founding director of Studio KMA studio, said:

"Stephen is a great addition to our team and is one of the most knowledgeable and experienced town planners I know.

"He has worked on many significant and prestigious schemes across London and the North West, adding value and expertise to them all. He will ensure our clients get the best town planning advice available, adding to the practice’s already considerable architectural and design skills.

"Bringing together architectural and planning skills under one roof, makes this practice a ‘one-stop shop’ for development advice.” 

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