Fiona Howie joins Cratus Group as Director of Communities and Placemaking

Cratus Group has appointed Fiona Howie as Director of Communities and Placemaking, strengthening its work with communities, clients and local partners in places undergoing growth and change.

Fiona joins Cratus on 11 May following seven years as Chief Executive of the Town and Country Planning Association. She brings extensive experience across planning, public policy, sustainability, community engagement and placemaking, having also held senior roles at the Campaign for National Parks and CPRE.

In her new role, Fiona will lead Cratus’s Communities and Placemaking team. The team works with communities, stakeholders and client to understand what matters locally, to build trust with communities and support places through change, in a way that delivers better outcomes for the people who live and work there.

Fiona will focus on complex and long-term projects, including new communities, urban extensions, estate regeneration, town centre regeneration and major engagement programmes, where strong local relationships and community confidence are central to success.

Her appointment comes at a pivotal time nationally, with housing, infrastructure, regeneration and planning reform high on the agenda. As the country focuses on growth and delivery, Cratus believes communities need to be at the heart of how places are planned, built and lived in.

Nick Kilby, Founder and Executive Chairman of Cratus, said:

“Cratus was founded on the belief that residents should be at the heart of decisions that affect their places.

“Fiona’s appointment strengthens that founding principle. She understands the importance of listening to communities, building trust and helping places succeed over the long term.

“As we grow our Communities and Placemaking offer, Fiona will help us stay focused on what matters most: doing the right thing for residents while helping clients deliver change well.”

Fiona Howie said:

“I’m delighted to be joining Cratus as Director of Communities and Placemaking at a pivotal time nationally, when the country is focused on housing, infrastructure, regeneration and growth.

“This role gives me the opportunity to focus on the things I care about most: helping to create places where communities can thrive by involving people to improve schemes.

“I was drawn to Cratus because of its ethos around doing the right thing for residents, and because there is a real opportunity to grow the Communities and Placemaking offer.

“I’m looking forward to helping clients to build trust through listening to existing and future communities, and deliver places that work for the people who live there.”

Julian Seymour, Chief Executive of Cratus, said:

“Communities and Placemaking is an important growth area for Cratus.

“Our clients are working on complex schemes that often run over many years and involve communities, councils, stakeholders and changing local priorities. They need advice that helps them build trust, manage relationships and maintain confidence over time.

“Fiona’s appointment gives us additional senior leadership, sector credibility and strategic insight as we develop this offer. She will play an important role in helping us grow the team, support clients and strengthen our position in the market.”