Chris Baker-Pearce

Managing Director

Chris co-founded Ardent Consulting Engineers in 2005 and has worked as a Consultant within the Private and Public Development Sector for over 25 years.

His expertise includes providing detailed and strategic infrastructure planning, project management and civil engineering support to clients on a wide range of commercial and residential development projects.

Prior to founding Ardent, Chris was an Associate Director at Buchanan Consulting Engineers where he led the Infrastructure design and planning team in the London office.

Chris is based in our London office.

Tony Foreman

Director

Tony co-founded Ardent Consulting Engineers in 2005.

He has over 30 years’ engineering experience in both the public and private sector, working on a wide range and scale of infrastructure projects. These have included major road and rail infrastructure schemes as well as large residential and commercial development projects.

Prior to co-founding Ardent Tony was an area manager for Waterman Aspen.

Tony is based in our London office.

Matthew Last

Director

Matthew is a transport planner and traffic engineer with over 25 years’ experience in the planning, design and implementation of new transport infrastructure, specialising over the past 20 years in providing advice on new developments.

This includes the preparation of Transport Assessments/Statements and Travel Plans to support planning applications; derivation of trip attraction/generation; consideration of traffic impact, including junction capacity assessments; preparation of the Transportation chapters of Environmental Statements; preliminary design of accesses, highway improvements and internal layouts of new developments, including advice on car parking provision and servicing arrangements; negotiation of Section 106 Agreements; and the preparation and presentation of evidence as an expert witness at a number of Appeal Hearings and Public Inquiries.

Matthew is based in our London office.

Brian Cafferkey

Director

Brian is a drainage and flood risk management specialist with over 30 years’ experience within this sector, working on behalf of both public and private sector clients.

Brian has expertise in the feasibility, appraisal, design and implementation of flood alleviation schemes for surface water, fluvial and coastal flood sources as well as in the design of foul and surface water systems for development. Brian has also prepared and given evidence at several Appeal Hearings and Public Inquiries.

Brian is based in our London office.

Steve Burton

Director

Steve has over 20 years’ experience working for engineering consultancy practices on a range of projects, primarily focusing on residential, commercial and retail developments.

Steve can provide advice relating to infrastructure planning and design matters including pre-purchase site appraisals, flood risk and drainage assessments and the detailed design of both Section 278 and 38 highway works.

Steve is based between our London and Ipswich offices.

Simon Hall

Director

Simon has over 15 years’ experience working for engineering consultancy practices on a range of development projects throughout the United Kingdom.

Simon supports clients with a range of planning and design advice with the aims of achieving planning permissions, undertaking pre-purchase site appraisals and providing post planning support.

Simon specialises in assisting and achieving permissions for a number of large mixed-use developments in Greater London, being involved from initial site review up to the beginning of construction.

Simon is based in our London office.

Kevin Kay

Director

Kevin Kay has been in transport planning practice for 25 years and is experienced in providing tailor-made mobility solutions to the private sector.

His particular experience lies in unlocking the potential from strategic land opportunities where significant transport interventions are required, from new road layouts and junctions to bypasses and enhanced public transport systems and services.

The breadth of his knowledge and experience ranges from pre-acquisition advice and due diligence, inputs to Local Plan representations and examinations through to planning applications and appeals.

His previous modelling background has helped with the assessment of large-scale developments. He has regularly produced and also audited Transport Assessments and Travel Plans in support of a number of new Garden Settlements, mixed-use settlement extensions, as well as town centre regeneration projects.

This has seen Kevin promote the benefits of improved accessibility and enhanced public realm, including the role that can be played by new forms of mobility in securing the widest travel choices for end-users. In doing so, Kevin provides advice on masterplans and transport strategies focused on integration, sustainability and the sympathetic treatment of streets.

Kevin regularly represents clients at Local Plan Examinations, public consultation events and planning appeals. He has also actively participated in design workshops, design charrettes, Enquiries by Design (EbD) and Area Actions Plans (AAPs). He is also abreast of latest environmental legislation, including Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRAs).

He is a Chartered Transport Planning Professional (TPP) and Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) and, in his role supporting development proposals throughout the UK, Kevin works across our offices with a focus on London and Edinburgh.

Kevin Markey

Divisional Director

Kevin has over 10 years’ engineering consultancy experience working on a variety of residential, commercial, leisure and mixed-use schemes throughout the United Kingdom. Kevin’s experience includes all aspects of development proposals from pre-purchase through to submission of planning applications, post-application negotiations and construction.

Kevin is based in our South West office.

Shirel Stedman

Non Executive Technical Director

Shirel is a flooding expert with more than 25 years’ experience in the Water sector. She has considerable experience in leading public sector contractors in joint venture legal entities such as Team Van Ord (TVO) and AECOM Kier JV (AKT) for the Environment Agency contracts.

Technically she has a depth of experience in flood resilience services, she has extensive experience in large catchment flooding solutions including Section 19 flood investigations for local authorities. This extends across every stage of a project from raising funding using the treasury business case format, initial feasibility studies, and conceptual flood alleviations options through to outline and detailed design to construction.

In addition to her role Shirel is a DEFRA appointed Regional Flood Coast Committee (RFCC) Chair where she works collaboratively with the committee members and stakeholders to drive positive outcomes while aligning all local authorities’ standpoints to achieve one goal.

Shirel is based in our London office.

Stuart Byrne

Technical Director

Stuart has over 25 years’ experience in the Civil Engineering Industry, having worked for both a private residential developer and a global consultancy for a number of years, prior to joining Ardent in 2009.

Stuart has particular expertise in undertaking the detailed design of residential developments, including the production of drawing packages for tender, approval and construction stages of the project.

Through his extensive experience and knowledge, Stuart is able to provide wide ranging technical assistance to clients to determine workable and cost effective solutions.

Stuart is based in our Essex office.

Russell Henderson

Technical Director

Russell will provide specialist advice to our clients across the UK and has over 20 years’ experience covering all aspects of Transport Planning and Highway Design. Russell has a particular expertise in development planning, masterplanning and urban design, and a keen understanding of how transport and sustainability contributes to the successful creation of new spaces and places.

As a Fellow and current Council member of the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT), Russell is an advocate for education and professional development, and is a keen supporter of the work which the CIHT undertakes in the promotion of life-long learning.

Russell works across our offices with a focus on London and Edinburgh.

Susan Cole

Operations Director

Susan has worked for Ardent for 16 years, starting at our Hatton Garden office when we had 10 staff and has been part of the company growth to now 7 offices and over 100 staff. She heads up and works the Operations/Administration Team who work hard to ensure that the company runs smoothly and everyone has everything they need to carry out their work effectively.

Susan is based in our London office.

Ben Brooks

Project Director

Ben has over 15 years’ experience within infrastructure and highway design.

Ben specialises in drainage, flood risk, earthworks and highway design. Ben is able to manage and deliver schemes at all stages from providing pre-purchase advice, to producing planning documents, creating working drawing packages and through to supporting contractors on site.

Gareth Hardwick

Associate Director

Gareth has over 30 years’ experience in delivering both major infrastructure projects and multi-project programmes encouraging development led regeneration.

His career began in the private sector, in construction and evolved through engineering consultancy for both the public and private sector to include the client side of urban regeneration and the delivery of major development enabling infrastructure projects.

For the past 10 years Gareth has concentrated upon both the design and the construction of infrastructure for large scale residential developments including major s278 off site highway improvements and the strategic on-site highways and drainage.

Gareth is based in our London office.

Ian Wharton

Associate Director

For the past 15 years, Ian has worked in Transport Planning, working for a range of clients, predominantly within the private sector.

Ian began his career in transport by mapping road networks for a satellite navigation company for two years until deciding to concentrate on the design and planning of roads and travel patterns instead.

His varied work since entering Transport Planning has included working for a number of the largest supermarket chains in the UK on new stores and expansion schemes, residential developments ranging from single units up to 2,000 homes, and the White Rose Carbon Capture Power Station project via the Development Consent Order (DCO) process. Ian is responsible for providing advice to clients from due diligence through to post-planning legal agreements. His core work involves the scoping and preparation of Transport Statements and Assessments, including input into Environmental Impact Assessments, and the preparation of Travel Plans.

Ian is based in our Essex office.

 

Jonathan Chinnock

Associate Director

Jonathan has over 15 years’ experience in the Civil Engineering Industry having worked for a number of international consultancies on a variety of projects within the United Kingdom and abroad. His experience encompasses commercial, residential, healthcare, leisure and industrial developments within both the public and private sectors.

Jonathan supports clients in a range of disciplines including highway design, earthworks, drainage, sustainable drainage, flood risk, river engineering and Environmental Impact Assessment. He specialises in the management and delivery of projects at all stages of a development, starting with pre-purchase due diligence and planning support through to tender & construction design preparation and the provision of site support.

Jonathan is based in our London office.

Andrew Braun

Associate Director

Andrew has over 15 years’ experience within the private sector, working a variety of schemes across the UK including residential, commercial, healthcare and mixed-use developments.

Andrew provides transport planning advice from initial due diligence appraisals, through to planning applications and post-planning support. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation.

Andrew is based in our Midlands office.

 

Matthew Richmond

Associate Director

Matthew has over 20 years of engineering consultancy experience in addition to being involved in environmental acoustics for the last 16 years.

Matthew is involved at all stages of his client’s project from inception and due diligence through the planning process, tender stages and supporting the client and contractors at the construction stage. His involvement includes highway design, flood risk and drainage, external levels and finishes, 3D modelling and earthworks. Matthew also assists the Acoustics team as required.

Matthew is based in our Ipswich office.

 

Bradley Welsh

Associate Director

Bradley has 20 years’ infrastructure design experience working with both public and private clients, covering a wide range of projects, from greenfield subdivisions, school developments, tower blocks, student accommodation, stadium design, inner city developments and refurbishments as well as major civil engineering and masterplanning projects throughout the UK and overseas from feasibility stage, through design to completion and handover.

Because Bradley has such a broad knowledge base of varying projects, covering conception, planning and detailed design he brings a different perspective and works closely with clients throughout the project lifecycle to ensure the final design delivers the optimum solution.

Bradley is based in our London office.

David Milligan

Associate Director

Dave has over 15 years’ experience within infrastructure and highway design.

Dave specialises in levels, drainage, flood risk, earthworks and highway design. Having previously worked directly for developers Dave can give a different perspective to engineering assessment. Dave is able to manage and deliver schemes at all stages from providing pre-purchase advice, planning documents, detailed design packages and supporting contractors/developers at a site level.

Dave is based in our London office.

Lee Dursley

Associate Director

Lee has over 15 years’ of acoustic consultancy experience having worked for private consultancies and engineering firms on a variety of projects throughout the UK. His experience covers a range of projects within the residential, retail, commercial, minerals and waste, and industrial sectors.

Lee is involved in all stages of projects from pre-purchase through to planning assessments and post-application negotiations. These have included major road and rail infrastructure schemes as well as large residential and commercial development projects.

Lee is based in our Midlands office.

David Howson

Associate Director

David has over 16 years’ experience in private sector consultancy services, working on a range of projects scales for a range of schemes across the UK, including: residential; commercial; food retail; healthcare; and mixed-use development proposals.

David supports clients with transport planning advice with the aim of achieving planning permissions; supporting proposals from pre-purchase through to submission of a planning application, as well as post-application discharge of planning conditions and construction logistics.

David is based in our Suffolk office.

John Chapman

Technical Director

John is an experienced civil engineer with over 20 years’ experience in civil engineering infrastructure design in the public and private sectors across the UK, North Africa and the Middle East.

John has a strong track record of supporting clients in the residential, cultural, education, healthcare and civic sectors to realise the potential of sites through his personable and practical approach to design.

Proficient in strategic masterplanning, drainage design, flood risk, highways design and earthworks assessments, John has a particular passion for sustainable surface water management and the integration of engineering solutions with the natural environment.

A chartered engineer with the Institution of Civil Engineers (CEng MICE), John has successfully delivered projects through all stages of design from feasibility, due-diligence and pre-planning through to detailed design and construction information delivery.

John works across our regional offices with a focus on Scotland from his base in Edinburgh.

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