John Weir starts as Montagu Evans head of planning after Church Commissioners role

John Weir has started as Head of Planning at Montagu Evans, joining the property consultancy from the Church Commissioners for England to take over a planning department of more than 100 people from Craig Blatchford.

Montagu Evans first revealed the hire on 11 June 2026, when it said Weir would begin in October 2026. The firm has now announced that he has joined.

Weir is a chartered surveyor and town planner with nearly 30 years' experience across consultancy, client-side leadership and asset management in the private and public sectors, the firm said.

Alan Harris, Managing Partner, said: "John brings a valuable client-side perspective, deep commercial experience and a strong track record of leadership. He joins a talented team with significant momentum".

The handover

Blatchford led the planning team for seven years. Montagu Evans said he will continue in a client-facing role and work closely with Weir on the transition.

The firm's announcement of Weir's arrival put the team at more than 100 people, including 35 Partners. Its June announcement of the same appointment described the team as over 100 people including 36 Partners, and listed data centres among its specialisms.

The team advises on regeneration, repurposing and development projects across Central London, England, Wales and Scotland, the firm said. Recent instructions it cited include the City of London's Custom House, the Fleming Centre in Paddington and Center Parcs' first destination in Scotland.

Plans for Custom House, submitted in April 2025 for Custom House City Limited with Montagu Evans advising, would turn the Grade I listed building into a 179-bed hotel with spa and health facilities, according to the firm. Center Parcs says it plans around 700 lodges at its first Scottish village in the Scottish Borders, north of Hawick and south of Selkirk, subject to planning permission.

Weir's background

Montagu Evans described Weir's most recent post as Head of Real Assets at the Church Commissioners, overseeing the investment and asset management of more than £2bn held directly and indirectly in property portfolios in the UK and overseas.

The Church Commissioners' own announcement in May 2019 appointed him Head of Real Estate for their Investment Division, starting on 1 June that year. Before that he had led the Commissioners' Strategic Land Investment team for six years. At the time, Tom Joy, Director of Investments, said real estate made up nearly 30% of the fund, with real assets worth about £2.4bn.

The June announcement said Weir's client-side experience covers landed estates and institutional property owners across mixed use, commercial, strategic land and infrastructure.

Weir said: "Montagu Evans is well placed to support clients through an increasingly complex market. The strength of the team, clarity of advice and focus on outcomes are what make the firm stand out".

A year of investment

The appointment follows a run of hires and promotions in the planning team. Over the past year Montagu Evans appointed Tim Price as Head of Commercial Planning and Will Lingard as a Partner in Central London, and promoted Kate Falconer Hall, Emma Lawrence, James Huish and Colin Sinclair to Partner.

Montagu Evans announced Lingard's appointment on 1 June 2026, saying he joined after a decade at CBRE, where he led its Central London planning offer. He sits in a 17-strong Central London planning team led by Guy Bransby, the firm said.

Across the wider business, the firm's promotion round announced in March and effective from 1 April 2026 was its largest ever, recognising 35 people including four new Equity Partners and six new Salaried Partners.

Harris became the firm's tenth Managing Partner on 1 April 2025. Montagu Evans reported a £13.2m statutory profit in the year to 31 March 2025 and has carried out a Partner capital raise, according to its results announcement.

When the hire was first announced in June, Harris said clients faced challenging market conditions, including upcoming revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework and continuing viability pressures.