Catharine joins from Turley, where she spent eight years as director of heritage and townscape, leading the successful development of its Heritage and Townscape service in Scotland and expanding its cross-office capabilities across Edinburgh, London, and Manchester. She brings significant expertise across UK regional markets, with a particular focus on heritage, townscape and visual impact assessments (TVIA), as well as experience in EIA and team development.

At Montagu Evans, she will play a key role in growing the partnership’s presence in Scotland and the north of England and enhancing the firm’s planning and heritage capabilities across the country. Her specialist skillset, cross-service approach and market knowledge align with the firm’s ambitions to expand its Scottish operations and further strengthen its planning capability for existing national and local client bases.

Craig Wallace, partner at Montagu Evans, said: “There is a growing market for heritage and townscape services in Scotland, as well as the north of England and Northern Ireland, particularly when complemented with townscape and visual impact advice to inform development design and planning strategy. Catharine is a pioneer and market leader in this specialist area, with longstanding expertise and a collaborative approach that makes her an important strategic hire for our planning team in Scotland and the wider business.

“She joins a number of new recruits joining our expanding planning team in Scotland, including Katherine Innes as senior planner, Matt Short as planner and Frank Trimble as graduate. In London, we have also recently welcomed historic environment expert Emma Lawrence.”

Catharine Kidd, partner at Montagu Evans, said: “Joining Montagu Evans at this time is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a growing team with the ability to provide a wide range of planning skills to support clients – including on new development, strategic advice on historic town and city-centre renewal, the adaptation and re-use of historic and listed buildings, masterplanning, and regeneration of complex sites and sensitive land.

“Managing change of sensitive areas effectively needs in-depth expertise of heritage assets and/or urban contexts, combined with development knowledge of building and land uses, legislation, the planning system and development contexts, and a collaborative approach to working with design teams and stakeholders. I’m looking forward to working with team members and services lines across the firm to overcome challenges and optimise outcomes for clients.”

Montagu Evans advises public and private sector clients across Scotland, including development, valuation, rating, lease advisory activity as well as planning, heritage and townscape. Key planning roles and projects include Scotland’s first Center Parcs, Haventus Ardersier Port, Rosebery House at Haymarket and Haymarket itself, Quartermile, the Royal High School in Edinburgh, The Àrd – Glasgow’s tallest building, and numerous roles for Scottish universities.