Nav Gahonia, Service Director

Nav is all about doing the right thing. She says that not many of the projects she and her team work on are very glamourous, but at the end of the day, they are critical jobs that keep the county running, from  collaborating with parish and community groups on local improvements to thinking about how to design out loneliness and building in net-zero. It is these seemingly small jobs that really add up, making the public realm safe, accessible for all and, ultimately, a place where people want to spend time.

It is by knowing the community – from living there combined with years of building connections with various community groups - that Nav can say with certainty that the work she is part of leaves a positive legacy. One small but highly effective example for her is a project with the local association for the blind to improve junction timings at a town centre crossing. By building their voices and experiences into the scheme development, Nav was confident that her team was delivering the best solution for the people it was intended for.

From the day-to-day to the future-focussed, Nav and her teams also support clients with funding applications that promote economic prosperity for years to come – especially important at a time when budgets are highly scrutinised. It is the balance of these projects that give Nav her holistic view of local government and the ever-changing needs of people and how they interact with places.

For more information on the work Nav does for Local Authorities across the UK, visit the link below.