WSP targets public sector expansion with Liverpool Council hire

Liverpool City Council’s senior development manager Andy Wallace has joined multidisciplinary consultant WSP as its director of public sector advisory services.

He will be responsible for building a new property and development-focussed team to support WSP’s existing local government portfolio, which includes transport, highways, environmental, and project management services.

WSP said the new team would be “proactively seeking out further opportunities” in the regeneration, development, property, and planning sectors.

Wallace, who joined the consultant at the start of January, will be based in the business’ Manchester office in a UK-wide role.

A chartered surveyor by trade, his previous role included working on Liverpool’s Southern Gateway Corridor, which included more than 1,000 homes, 1m sq ft of industrial space, and £150m of retail investment.

Wallace said: “The opportunities for WSP to grow its public-sector exposure, particularly within property-focused local government directorates, are widespread, and now is the time to capitalize. Local authorities often have a huge number of development assets in their portfolio and now, more than ever, they need to capitalise on those to drive economic growth and this is exactly where WSP can add value.

“Our breadth of services enables us to assist at every stage, from feasibility and design, to project management and delivery.”

Ian Liddell, managing director for planning and advisory at WSP added: “There are exciting opportunities ahead and Andy’s appointment will help us to target new areas for growth within our existing local government client base, as well as to grow our property advisory services into new areas.”