From one to five: Marrons scales up Sheffield presence in 2025
Planning, design and development consultancy Marrons has rapidly expanded its northern presence this year – growing its Sheffield-based team from a single hire to a five-strong group of planning and urban design specialists.
The new Sheffield office, located in Cubo, Carver Street, was established at the beginning of 2025 as part of Marrons’ strategic expansion into the north of England. Since then, the consultancy has attracted top planning and design talent to support regional clients and local authorities with complex planning and development challenges.
Leading the team is planning director Megan Wilson, who has more than a decade of experience working on medium to large-scale strategic development across the north of England. She is joined by associate director of urban design David Kemp, who plays a pivotal role in shaping high-quality urban design solutions for Marrons’ clients.
Most recently, the team welcomed principal planner Guy Wilson, assistant planner Lizzie Smith and graduate urban designer Max Chen.
Guy previously served as a principal planning officer in the strategic sites team at the Greater Cambridge Planning Service, where he led on major developments including sites of more than 3,000 homes. At Marrons, he is focusing on strategic land, residential and mixed-use developments, guiding proposals through allocation and planning applications.
Guy said: “I was attracted to Marrons as it seemed like an exciting place to work, with the chance to be part of a growing team backed by the experience and expertise of the national Marrons network. The firm’s B Corp values also stood out and I am already enjoying helping to deliver projects that will make a real difference in the region.”
Lizzie joined the Sheffield office after completing her master’s degree in urban studies and planning at the University of Sheffield. She has quickly become involved in complex major residential-led developments, green and grey belt projects and planning appeals.
Max holds an RTPI-accredited degree in urban design and planning and an RIBA-accredited degree in architecture, with his experience spanning commercial construction, town regeneration and heritage research. At Marrons, he is focusing on masterplanning, producing drawings and design content to support planning applications while ensuring proposals reflect local context and planning policy.
Megan Wilson said: “We’re thrilled to see how quickly the Sheffield office has grown. The calibre and enthusiasm of the team reflects our commitment to supporting the region with innovative and effective planning solutions.
“Our move into Sheffield has exceeded expectations, with strong demand from clients and the public sector. Growing from one person to a team of five in less than a year shows the scale of opportunity here, and we are excited to play our part in shaping Sheffield and South Yorkshire’s future.
“We are committed to investing in the region and building a team that brings together planning expertise, design excellence and collaborative values to help unlock sites and deliver high-quality development.”
The rapid growth of the Sheffield office includes law firm, Shakespeare Martineau, also part of Ampa Group, the UK's leading legal and professional services group – the firm has grown from two people in the region in 2021, to 11 people in 2025 when Marrons joined the office space. In total, the Sheffield office has grown to 36 people across Marrons, Shakespeare Martineau, and central services teams of the Ampa group. With more to come, Ampa is set to expand its office space at Cubo in November this year.
Since moving into Cubo Sheffield in September 2024, both Marrons and Shakespeare Martineau have embraced the flexibility and community of the premium workspace. The team is now set to expand further this month with a larger office within Cubo’s Carver Street building – a modern, design-led space tailored for growing businesses.
Marc Brough, Cubo CEO, said: “We’re delighted to see Marrons and Shakespeare Martineau thriving and expanding within Cubo Sheffield. Our vision has always been to create spaces that inspire growth, collaboration and success, and it’s fantastic to see that come to life with businesses like these. Their rapid expansion reflects both their own ambition and the energy of the wider Cubo community here in Sheffield.”
The office is designed for modern, agile working, and Marrons is actively recruiting further planners and specialists to support its ambitious growth plans.