Avison Young bolsters planning team in Bristol

Global commercial real estate firm Avison Young has announced the appointment of David Williams as an Associate in the planning team at its Bristol office, as part of its wider growth.

David has over 17 years of experience in planning, working in the East of England, London and the South West. He started his career working on land promotion and rural projects, before joining the team at Carter Jonas where he worked on the relocation of the Brentford FC stadium and various housing developments. In 2016, he joined the Bristol team at Planning Potential, helping retail giant Aldi secure new stores across South Wales and the South West. Most recently, David has acted as a planning consultant, advising on a range of projects from renewable energy to residential development schemes.

David’s role at Avison Young will be to support the directors and principal in the Bristol planning team at Avison Young, supplying clients with expert planning advice, managing the application process and negotiation, and consulting with stakeholders.

David’s appointment comes as the Bristol office continues to bolster its planning team, with two additional new hires. Lewis Godsmark has joined from Knight Frank and has since just passed his APC so is now a chartered town planner Lewis’s role at Avison Young focuses on providing planning consultancy for private and public sector clients, unlocking the full development potential of assets. Meanwhile, Charlotte Leach has been appointed as Graduate Planner, supporting projects across retail, housing and employment. Charlotte has also been selected to attend MIPIM 2025 as a Challenger, where she will network, join panels and present her ideas to leaders in the sector.

Pete Stockall, Principal at Avison Young UK, said:
“We’re very pleased to start 2025 having strengthened our planning team for a busy year ahead with David, Lewis and Charlotte. All three will be pivotal over the coming months as the National Planning Policy Framework takes shape to speed up housing delivery in the South West, and as local authorities across the region continue to drive their regeneration agenda. We have a strong, confident team who are ready to give clear advice to help deliver our clients’ commercial priorities.”

David Williams, Associate at Avison Young, said:
“I’m delighted to be joining Avison Young’s fantastic planning team. I’ve been working in the Bristol and South West for over five years, and I’ve seen first-hand how the market is changing. I’m excited to join Avison Young and play my part in the large scale and city centre-based projects that the team is often involved in. I enjoy the challenge of working on complex projects that result in positive changes to the urban environment and can’t wait to continue working to deliver best-in-class results for our clients.”