THE region's only law firm to have an in-house town and country planning and design consultancy is creating a second team on Tyneside.

Blackett Hart & Pratt's (BHP) 11-strong planning and design team, based in Darlington, serves the North-East and beyond, but the firm is to develop a second team in Newcastle.

Barney Corrigan, who has more than 30 years' experience in planning, has left Dickinson Dees in Newcastle, where he was planning manager, to lead BHP's newest office. He will be joined at the Quayside base by two more planners and a planning solicitor.

Steve Hesmondhalgh, leader of the Darlington team, said it was the right time for BHP to develop a Newcastle arm. He said: "There is huge growth potential within the region and planning consultants will play an increasingly crucial role as our clients gear up to take advantage of the various initiatives and challenges in the development industry against the backdrop of a rapidly changing environmental agenda and legislative background."

Earlier this year, BHP's planning team was appointed by the national Planning Advisory Service to work with local authority planning departments in the North-East.