West Midlands consultancy expands Birmingham team

Leading planning, design and development consultancy Marrons has bolstered and expanded its West Midlands presence through the appointment of Ellen Keen in Birmingham.

Taking on the role of planner, Ellen joins Marrons from South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils where she was a countryside and planning enquiry officer, providing ecological advice to planning officers regarding legally-protected species, priority habitats, designated sites and biodiversity net gain, as well as pre-application advice.

In her new role, Ellen will be responsible for guiding development projects through the planning system by appraising sites, formulating strategies, coordinating with a range of multidisciplinary consultants, and preparing and managing high quality planning application submissions while positively engaging with local planning authorities.

Ellen – who is currently studying towards a MSc in sustainability, planning and environmental policy at Cardiff University – said: “Marrons is ambitious, and I am excited to be part of a growing team of experienced planning professionals.

“Being a B Corporation was also an attractive proposition as securing a positive relationship between the built environment and environmental and social sustainability is really important to me. I’m looking forward to developing my skills and progressing my career with Marrons.”

Marrons expanded into Birmingham in May 2022. Ellen will primarily be based at Marrons’ Birmingham hub but will be working with clients nationally.

Sachin Parmar, planning director at Marrons, said: “We have significant growth plans in the business, and Ellen’s appointment will strengthen the team and bring new ideas and skills to unlock sites. We are thrilled to have her on board.”