Turley appoints chief executive

Stephen Bell has stepped into his new role within the planning and development consultancy, replacing Dave Trimingham who has taken on the position of executive chair.

Based in the company’s Manchester office, Bell joined Turley as a director in 2013 before his promotion to senior director and head of planning in the North in 2018.

During his time at the company, Bell has led a number of major projects across the North West. These include Hulton Park in Bolton – Peel’s £250m plans to build a Ryder Cup-standard golf course, more than 1,000 homes, and a primary school in the town, which were approved in October following an appeal.

Previous positions also include director of planning at GVA Property, which he held for more than 14 years.

In his new role as chief executive at Turley, Bell will continue to advise clients as well as taking on the responsibility for the firm’s leadership team and company strategy.

Dave Trimingham, executive chair and Bell’s predecessor, said: “We are committed to providing opportunities for our next generation leaders, and welcoming Stephen to the post of chief executive is the next step.

“I look forward to working alongside him and sharing my experience to support our strategic direction and trajectory.”

Bell added, “We have a fantastic employee-owned company made up of so many talented people.

“It is a company that is improving year-on-year, and that positive, progressive environment is being felt by our people and our clients.”

Employee-owned businesses have steadily increased in popularity since launching and Place North West recently followed suit, following a number of property companies such as DB3 and FutureServ.