DevComms, the political and stakeholder engagement consultancy specialising in the built environment, has opened a new office in Manchester and expanded its team in the North.
The consultancy already works with clients across the North, however business in the North was previously handled from the firm’s Midlands office in Birmingham. A Manchester base puts the team permanently alongside the clients, communities and councils it works with, the consultancy said, and marks the next phase of DevComms’ growth as it approaches its tenth anniversary in 2027.
The Manchester team will support clients across the North with strategic communications, political insight and stakeholder engagement, helping to unlock development opportunities.
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As part of the expansion, Jack Boyce has been promoted to managing director for the Midlands and North, while Katy Isaac has joined as associate director. With almost a decade of experience in the sector, Isaac’s work spans residential, urban regeneration, energy and power, logistics and transport markets. She is a strategic thinker with a track record of working with stakeholders on sensitive issues, including high-value projects across Greater Manchester.
The Manchester office has been in the works for several months and the timing reflects a wider shift in where decisions about growth are being made. In July, the government opened No10 North in Manchester, moving responsibility for devolution and local economic growth strategy out of Whitehall. More regionalised decision making is expected in the future and DevComms’s network of offices is well placed to support clients.
“We’ve been working with clients in the North for some time and more of the decisions that shape development are now being made in the regions,” said Rob Allaway, CEO of DevComms. “Having a team based in Manchester means we’re part of those conversations every day.”
“I’m delighted that DevComms now has a permanent base in Greater Manchester, supported by a best-in-class team and it builds on a decade of my advising clients in the North,” said Boyce, newly appointed MD for the Midlands and North. “We’ll be growing our team, embedding ourselves in the region’s communities and politics and helping schemes get Local Plan allocations through planning and into delivery. I’m excited to see what we can do together.”
The new Manchester office joins DevComms’ network of offices across the South of England and the capital as well as its Midlands base.
