A planning company has appointed a new associate director to its board.

Hedley Planning, based in Hexham, appointed the new board member Alex Franklin after seeing substantial growth.

He will also work in Hedley's newly established Newcastle office, continuing the firm's expansion.

The appointment of Mr Franklin reflected the growth experienced by Hedley Planning, the company said.

Managing director Sean Hedley said: "We’re investing in talent to support clients pursuing their own exciting development opportunities across the UK.

"These roles reflect the prospect of working at the forefront of a changing, dynamic sector with one of the North East’s growing planning firms."

As part of the appointment, the firm has also taken on Rachel Day as a graduate town planner, who will work on many projects.

These include several commercial planning projects and renewable wind turbine schemes across the UK

The company provides planning solutions for complex development proposals, considering land usage and planning technicalities.

They operate on a range of projects, including commercial, residential, and renewable energy schemes.