Haringey names new co-chairs of its design review panel

Haringey council has appointed the London Legacy Development Corporation’s head of design and a former Pollard Thomas Edwards director to oversee planning applications in the borough.

Esther Everett and Andrew Beharrell have been appointed as co-chairs of the local authority’s quality review panel (QRP), which advises the council on schemes under consideration.

The pair replace veteran design advisor Peter Studdert, who has held the position for the past eight years alongside his roles as vice chair of Camden council’s design review panel and the chair of Historic England’s historic places panel.

Everett, who has been a panel member of Haringey’s QRP since 2017, was appointed the London Legacy Development Corporation’s head of design in 2019 and has overseen the design development of a string of major schemes including the east London outposts of the Victoria and Albert museum and the BBC.

As part of the role she has led an internal client team overseeing the selection, appointment and coordination of design teams on the projects, as well as large masterplans and housing schemes in the development zone.

Everett was also head of design at the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation from 2016 to 2017, leading strategic oversight of the area’s masterplan and the integration of HS2’s Old Oak Common station into the neighbourhood.

Beharrell advises the research and development group Knowledge Hub at Pollard Thomas Edwards, where he designed and delivered many award-winning building projects as a former director and senior partner prior to retiring from a practice leadership role in 2020.

A member of Haringey’s QRP from 2015 to 2021, Beharrell is a regular commentator on the industry at live events and in the press and has co-authored and edited a series of publications on housing, planning and regeneration issues.

The QRP scrutinises all major development proposals and advises applicants, council officers and the council’s planning committee on how well a development scheme is meeting the principles of the Haringey Development Charter.

Everett said: “I am honoured to be appointed co-chair of the Haringey Quality Review Panel at a time when the design of our built environment is so critical in the face of a rapidly changing world and climate.

“I look forward to working with the expert panel and ensuring that high-quality place-making is put at the forefront of all development in Haringey to secure an environment fit for the 21st century with immediate benefits for local residents.”

Beharrell added: “With so many commercial and regulatory pressures on development, the panel has a vital role in raising design standards and ambition to help create places that we can all be proud of for generations to come.”

Studdert will work with Beharrell as co-chairs of the QRP until March 2024, when Everett will replace Studdert and take up her co-chair role alongside Beharrell.

Major ongoing schemes in Haringey include Tottenham Hotspur FC’s regeneration of the land surrounding its stadium and plans by John McAslan & Partners and Allies & Morrison for a major mixed-use scheme at the former Berol House pencil factory.