Pick Everard bolsters team with senior hire - “important step for our environmental services”

An environmental specialist has joined multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard as associate director as the company looks to develop its regenerative construction services.

Katie Partington, who joins as associate director in ecology and arboriculture, has more than 20 years of experience in overseeing sustainable development in the private and public sector. 

She said: "By advising on development work and how to comply with current legislation through the management of ecology and arboriculture impacts, such as the protection of species, and habitats or important trees, we can avoid and mitigate the impact of the built environment on nature and leave a lasting benefit.

"We want to go further than that and unlock the potential for our clients to deliver on their aspirations as well. We can apply a more holistic way of thinking to projects. 

"By working together with our sustainability and landscape technical specialists, we can plan and design spaces that, for example, will attract species not just protect them, bring resilience and longevity to the environments we live and work in and contribute to the overall wellbeing of users of these spaces."

Partington joins Pick Everard as the Planning and Infrastructure Act comes into force in England, introducing new environmental assessment procedures.

"There is a balance between the built environment and the natural world that can be achieved," added Partington. "That's where the skills and insights we offer in collaboration with our partners adds significant value to the lifespan of a development.

"Compliance is very important but we need to be sure that what we deliver protects the environment and our own wellbeing through access to nature in the future too."

Emelye Kenyon, head of environmental services, said: "Katie's appointment is an important step for our environmental services. She brings a huge amount of experience across ecology, arboriculture and major infrastructure projects, and she understands how to work effectively within multi-disciplinary teams. 

"At a time when biodiversity, climate resilience and environmental compliance are becoming central to our clients’ needs, Katie's practical and collaborative approach will be a real asset to both our projects and our people."