Geography has become an excuse in this industry. Firms carve the country up between them as though expertise were a local resource, and everyone calls this discipline when really it is just habit. The result is a market that limits itself for reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of advice on offer. Spending time in Leeds for UKREiiF brought this into focus. It is a brilliant city with real energy, particularly around Kirkgate, and a good reminder that the best wor

How AI is affecting projects for SME developers.

By the time a scheme reaches committee, many of the most influential decisions have already been settled. Development consultants working at this stage rarely make fundamental changes to a scheme, but those involved earlier can shape outcomes while options remain open. The real cost drivers of a site are often set early, before they appear on drawings. Access, topography, services, heritage and context can dictate viability if they are treated as assumptions rather than varia

As co-directors of Axo Consulting, Steve Cheesman and I founded the practice with a clear aim to simplify the planning and development process for clients. From the beginning our focus has been to bring clarity, disciplined judgement and integrated expertise to decisions that carry real consequence. Clients need a director-led partner who can cut through complexity and guide projects with confidence and accountability. Axo is an integrated property consultancy that combines d