Ex-HOW, Avison Young colleagues reunited at Asteer 

Richard Woodford has joined Jon Suckley and Alice Routledge’s planning practice as a consultant. 

Having worked together for more than 20 years at Avison Young and HOW Planning – previously part of GVA, which AY acquired in 2018 – Woodford and Suckley will now share the Asteer Planning office. 

Woodford, who was one of five senior members of Avison Young’s Manchester planning team to resign this year, will provide strategic planning advice and support to the Asteer team, which now numbers 16, and the firm’s clients. 

Asteer’s current projects include FEC’s Victoria North, HBD’s Colloco, and Muse and Bury Council’s regeneration of Prestwich town centre.

“Richard and I have worked together for over 20 years and he has played a significant role in my career,” said Suckley, who set up Asteer with Routledge in 2021. 

“It is great to be able to welcome Richard as a consultant to our team and for Asteer to be able to give something back to Richard.” 

He added: “[Richard] has an impressive record in the planning industry and a wealth of experience that we are looking forward to learning from and using to continue to build on our success.”  

Woodford set up Woodford Land & Planning after leaving Avision Young. He will continue to run his own company while working with Asteer two days a week. 

“It has been great to see how Asteer has grown over the past couple of years and I believe it has quickly established itself as one of Manchester’s best independent planning consultancies,” Woodford said. 

“I’m looking forward to being part of the team and hope to be able to use my own experience to provide advice and guidance and look forward to helping the business grow further.”