Cluttons appoints senior CPO partner to drive regeneration growth  

Cluttons has appointed Virginia Blackman as a Partner and Head of Site Assembly and Compulsory Purchase, based in London, as the real asset advisory business continues to build out its capability in areas central to the Government’s growth agenda. 

Virginia brings over 25 years of experience advising on development, regeneration and infrastructure, with a particular focus on de-risking complex projects through site assembly, compulsory purchase and appropriation. She has advised local planning authorities, developers, infrastructure providers and regeneration agencies, and her work spans the full development process, from planning policy creation through to taking vacant possession of sites. 

Virginia joins Cluttons from Avison Young, where she was Principal of Site Assembly and Compulsory Purchase and served on the UK Executive Committee. She also chairs the RICS Expert Working Group on CPO and Compensation and has provided advice to central government on new CPO legislation and guidance. In 2024 she founded Women in CPO, a network providing guidance, training and support for women working across the compulsory purchase sector.  

John Gravett, CEO at Cluttons, said: “Regeneration and infrastructure are going to be defining themes for the British economy over the next decade. The Government has made clear its ambitions on housebuilding, planning reform and national infrastructure, and the expertise required to unlock complex sites and bring development forward is in significant demand. Virginia is one of the most respected practitioners in this space and her appointment puts Cluttons in an excellent position to support clients at the sharp end of that opportunity.” 

Virginia Blackman, Partner and Head of Site Assembly and Compulsory Purchase at Cluttons, said: “Cluttons is a business with real momentum, growing and expanding into markets that are genuinely critical to the UK’s future. I am looking forward to being part of the growth story and bringing my experience in site assembly and compulsory purchase to bear for clients who are getting on and delivering  some of the most significant development and infrastructure projects in the country.”