Edgars has begun a new chapter in its 26-year story, with Jon Westerman becoming managing director following a management buyout of the independent award-winning planning and heritage consultancy.
Jon succeeds Edgars’ founders Jayne and David Norris, having worked alongside Jayne for the past decade to grow the business, its team and client relationships.
The Edgars story dates back to 2001, when the original business was established. Jayne Norris established the planning consultancy part of Edgars in 2007, with a clear ambition to create a different kind of planning consultancy, combining expert advice with a highly personal and client-focused approach.
Since then, her mission has been to ensure that every client has a positive planning and development experience that enhances their property asset and promotes sustainability, an approach that has shaped Edgars’ culture and the long-standing relationships it has built with clients over almost two decades.
Jon joined Edgars as a director in 2016, having previously worked for Carter Jonas, Cherwell District Council and West Oxfordshire District Council, to work alongside Jayne in driving the business forward.
Over the past ten years, Jayne and Jon have worked closely together to develop Edgars, with Jon playing a central role in advising landowners, developers and architects navigate heritage, planning policy and development strategy. His move into leadership of the business is therefore a natural progression, providing continuity for Edgars’ clients and team while creating a platform for its next phase of growth.
Today, Edgars advises clients across Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Buckinghamshire, London and the South East and wider UK and has worked on projects including Radley College, Bloxham School, Bicester Motion, Daylesford, Enstone Business Park, University of Oxford, Oxford Colleges, Great Tew Estate, Madresfield Estate, Kiddington Estate and high net worth individuals.
Jayne Norris said: “I am incredibly proud of what we have built at Edgars and, in particular, the team and client relationships that sit at the heart of the business.
“Finding the right way to take Edgars forward was hugely important to me. Jon has been part of Edgars for ten years; he understands our people, clients and culture and has played an important role in the business we have become.
“This feels like a very natural next chapter and I am enormously excited to see where Jon and the team take Edgars from here.”
Jon Westerman said: “It is a huge privilege to be taking forward Edgars. The strength of this business is our people, our expertise and the relationships we have built with clients over many years and living by our values of collaboration, communication and commitment to excellence. Those foundations don’t change.
“What we do have is renewed ambition for the future. We want to strengthen our position in planning and heritage, build on our Oxfordshire roots and expertise, deepen our existing client relationships and work with more of the ambitious projects and organisations we know Edgars can add real value to.
“As we approach our 20th anniversary, it feels like a particularly exciting moment to look at everything Edgars has achieved, and what we can achieve together next.”
Edgars celebrates its 20th anniversary as a planning consultancy in February 2027. Its existing client teams, projects and relationships continue unchanged as the business begins its next chapter.
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