Meet the team

Martin Farrington worked in local government for 35 years and was the Director of City Development at Leeds City Council with responsibility for the physical, economic and cultural development of the city for 14 years up to September 2024. His work included leading the second largest local planning authority in the UK, regularly dealing with more than 4,500 applications every year.

During his time in Leeds, Martin has led the £180m Leeds Flood Alleviation schemes 1 & 2, the delivery of the First Direct Arena, the redevelopment of Headingley Stadium and taking Leeds Bradford Airport from public to private ownership in 2007.

Martin also led the proposals for regenerating the South Bank of Leeds City Centre, which includes working with Network Rail on the redevelopment of Leeds Station, the restoration of Temple Mill for the British Library North and the delivery of a new city centre park.

Martin also led the development of the £136m East Leeds Orbital Road which opened in 2022 which facilitates an urban extension of some 4,500 new homes, and he supported the growth of the city’s retail core through £500m of investment in the development of Trinity Leeds and the Victoria Gate John Lewis scheme.

Russell is an accomplished Chartered Surveyor with 20 years’ experience, specialising in land assembly and infrastructure delivery and has played a key role on several major projects such as HS2, Midland Mainline Electrification and East Coast Mainline Power Supply Upgrade.

He has a successful track record working within senior roles and has managed teams both when leading on large scale projects and in delivering diverse and complex caseloads. Russell is the land and property lead on the Northumberland Line project, the major third party led rail scheme and Blyth Relief Road, a significant road scheme in Blyth, Northumberland.

Susan is a rail property specialist. She has over 30 years’ experience working in property and contractual roles within the rail industry including management of the railway estate for various train operating companies.

As a recognised industry specialist, Susan has been part of regulator led working groups to develop new station and property lease structures to assist the shaping of ongoing government rail e strategy & policy.

Susan is currently working with the Department for Transport on the programme to bring the rail industry back into public ownership.

Susan also supports third-party projects through the highly regulated and complex Station/Depot Change and Network Change processes. She is also adept at land acquisition and negotiating leasehold interests.

Julie is a rail property specialist with over 25 years’ experience developing land strategies for rail development schemes, managing rail industry processes to facilitate projects, negotiating land acquisitions for major rail schemes, negotiating complex lease agreements, landlord and tenant management and enhancing secondary income streams for train operators. Julie is extremely client focussed and has the ability to persuade and influence others. She has excellent negotiating skills and demonstrates diplomacy in sensitive situations.

Edward has a comprehensive background in strategic development, utilities, and property acquisition spanning over two decades.

His expertise extends to managing land acquisitions, negotiating complex compensation claims, and overseeing diverse portfolios for clients such as HS2 Ltd, Network Rail, and Severn Trent Water.

Matthew is a Chartered Town Planner with a comprehensive history of managing multidisciplinary teams of consultants and in doing so securing planning permission for complex mixed-use schemes. He is a specialist in assembling applications and gaining consent for developments in designated areas. He has an extensive knowledge of local authorities and has experience of working with both county, district and unitary authorities.

Matthew works extensively with SLC’s clients, sharing his expertise in advising and managing projects that require planning permission, listed building consent and other related consents. He is focused on ensuring the continued high-quality delivery of SLC’s Planning and Environmental Services to meet the demand of an increasing project portfolio. Matthew is currently engaged on various high-profile projects on behalf of SLC clients, with roles including planning and environmental research, advising on the scope of the planning applications, and supervising the contributions of environmental specialists.

Huon is a rail and property specialist, who has worked in the rail industry for over 20 years and has extensive experience of the franchise and current operating systems and the regulatory & legal frameworks in which they operate.

Before joining SLC Property, Huon worked for train operating companies where he managed the regulatory elements of a large portfolio of depots and stations. He successfully managed the transition from a standard franchise to a direct award contract franchise (DAC) and from the DAC to a newly awarded, competitively tendered franchise.

Huon also has extensive experience of all areas relating to Property, especially bespoke agreements and works on a large range of projects across the country.

Peter has 37 years’ experience in Commercial Property, Valuation, Infrastructure and Compensation.

Peter joined SLC Property in 2021 and is part of the Team delivering the Property advice for a number of projects across the Northern region.

Peter can influence at all levels with very strong business acumen. Prior to joining SLC Property, Peter was Director for Valuation in CBRE Liverpool Office between 2005 and 2009 having set up the team in 2003. He was then Head of Valuation at Keppie Massie with subsequent roles remaining within the North West and Merseyside Professional Community.

An accomplished Project Manager with over eight years of experience, specialising as a technical lead for Land Referencing & GIS in several Highway Improvements, Railway Infrastructure, Housing Regeneration and Renewables projects.

Prior to joining SLC Property, Jamal’s role as a Principal Consultant with Ardent was to ensure all legislations and land referencing requirements of a Development Consent Order (DCO), Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO), and Transport & Works Act Order (TWAO) were met.

Vicky has worked in the Property industry for over 20 years in a range of roles and is a Registered Valuer. Vicky now specialises in land acquisition and the valuation of land/property relating to its acquisition or disposal.

Vicky also has considerable experience in property/facilities management and is conversant with the roles and responsibilities involved in managing property across several use classes.

Vicky works extensively within the rail industry, assisting Train Operators with their Property Portfolios

She is a highly organised individual who can manage the needs of many different types of stakeholders and conflicting requirements.

Will is responsible for leading the property aspects of rail infrastructure redevelopment projects, covering areas such as station access support, property and land advisory, station surveys, and commercial modelling. He has taken a lead role in managing property-related issues across multiple projects and has supported legal processes associated with station redevelopments. Additionally, he oversees the management of station access obligations for Chiltern Railways.

Will has conducted land investigations, developed land and consent strategies to inform stakeholders, and contributed to the creation of commercial models for projects such as ScotRail’s Qualifying Expenditure assessment and Arriva Trains’ East Midlands franchise bid. He is also skilled in Computer-Aided Design (CAD).

Currently, Will is pursuing an MSc in Real Estate at the University College of Estate Management (UCEM).

Liam is a Rail Property Surveyor with an excellent understanding of building regulations and property transactions.

He graduated in Building Surveying and has a keen interest in the built environment, ranging from construction, procurement, property and engineering.

Since joining SLC Property, Liam has developed excellent CAD skills together with knowledge of rail regulation and general property matters.

Peter is a Chartered Town Planner with a proven track record of delivering major urban and infrastructure projects and commissions on time and on budget. He graduated from Newcastle University with first class honours in Town and Country Planning and was awarded a prize by the Royal Town Planning Institute for his studies.

Peter has experience working in both the local authority and private sectors and has a sound understanding of the planning process. Peter has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Town and Country Planning Legislation and can advise on all aspects of planning law.

Becky is a qualified economist with more than 20 years’ consultancy experience assembling convincing business cases for schemes. She has a track record securing funds and finance for heritage and built environment schemes.

She has extensive experience of managing the multidisciplinary teams necessary to deliver investments in heritage lottery funded schemes. Becky has a proven track record of managing teams of consultants to deliver services and schemes on time and on budget.

Jo is an experienced town planner with a proven track record of delivering major planning permissions, masterplans and listed building consents on time, and on budget. She is a specialist in development for housing, community facilities, transport and infrastructure and particularly in designing and implementing the required stakeholder engagement. Her practical experience as a qualified anthropologist enables her to assist clients to tailor their proposals to the needs and perspective of specific people and communities.

Alannah is a Senior Chartered Planning Associate at SLC Property, working on the Northumberland Line scheme and Transpennine Route Upgrade. She has experience in planning applications, risk management, and legal advice for infrastructure projects.

Matt is a Rail & Property Advisor with over two years’ experience within SLC Property’s Rail and Regulation team.

Matt will shortly commence a Land & Resources Apprenticeship through UCEM, further broadening his competencies and leading to chartership through The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Matt has specialised in Computer Aided Design (CAD), and through his projects has gained experience in conducting and evaluating property transactions. He also has experience in railway regulatory matters such as Station Change, Depot Change, and Minor Modification.

Henry is a surveyor with over 3 years’ experience in the energy, infrastructure, and utilities sector, working on the acquisition of land and rights for transport projects, solar farms, battery storage, and wind farms.

Henry is a key member of the team and works on a variety of different projects, but is primarily involved in rail, highways, and active travel schemes, acquiring land/rights with and without compulsory powers.

He is working towards becoming a qualified chartered surveyor with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and is hoping to sit the necessary professional exams within the next three months.