Simon Butler-Finbow

Group Planning Director

Simon is Group Planning Director for Pigeon and oversees the company’s portfolio. He heads the Planning and Design Department, leads on the master planning and delivery of major projects, and supports the company’s business development.

Simon joined Pigeon in 2012 having previously worked in local government before holding senior positions in two of the country’s largest housebuilders and being on the Board of a regional property company. His extensive knowledge and experience mean he is well-placed to provide strategic advice and support across all planning and development matters.

Simon is a Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute, an Associate Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects and Eastern Region Chairman of the Home Builders Federation.

Away from Pigeon, Simon enjoys spending time with his family and motorcycling.

Rob Snowling

Director - Planning

Rob is responsible for the Planning Team and the provision of planning services for all departments within Pigeon. He manages all planning matters relating to the delivery of a portfolio of projects through to the point of disposal or build, ensuring that all members of the Planning Team have the same broad responsibilities regarding their portfolios.

Rob joined Pigeon in 2015, having previously worked for property developer Morston Assets, managing all aspects of Town Planning across a nation-wide portfolio of mixed-use development sites. He started his career at Bidwells, advising landowners and developers across East Anglia.

Rob is an experienced development professional and has been a Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute since 2005.

Away from work, Rob can be found spending time with his family, watching rugby, and keeping fit by swimming, cycling and running.

Ryan Bruty

Director - Technical

Ryan’s role in the Planning and Design Department involves managing the Technical team and a portfolio of Pigeon’s projects from a technical perspective. He is responsible for ensuring that projects are technically robust and deliverable, as well as managing external consultants and delivering technical reports.

Ryan is a civil/infrastructure engineer by trade and has more than 18 years of experience in the design and management of infrastructure on residential and mixed-used schemes.

Prior to Pigeon he worked at one of the UK’s largest house builders but was inspired to move to Pigeon so he could be involved in the early stages of development at such an entrepreneurial company.

Away from work, Ryan can be found spending time with his family, travelling, and attending music festivals (especially Glastonbury). He also runs the occasional marathon!

Claire Norris

Senior Communications Manager

Claire manages the Communications team, and together they deliver all the diverse communications and stakeholder engagement for the various projects and schemes at Pigeon. Claire initially joined Pigeon in 2018 as an Engagement Manager and was attracted by the company’s ambition – something that still holds true today.

Pre-Pigeon, she worked in several communications roles, covering all aspects of marketing, events, and PR, including 12 years at Greene King within the beer brands marketing team. Claire is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, having passed her Postgraduate Diploma in 2004.

Away from work, Claire enjoys travelling, as well as spending time with her friends and family. She loves live music and tries to get to as many gigs as possible.

Justyna Kucharska

Design Co-ordinator

As Design Co-ordinator, Justyna’s role involves producing concept drawings and plans, as well as supporting the Planning, Commercial, and Land teams with a variety of technical drawings.

After completing her first-class degree in Building Surveying, Justyna worked for a multi-disciplinary consultancy that delivered affordable homes for a range of developers and housing associations before joining Pigeon in 2020.

Away from work, Justyna can be found spending time with her children, playing computer games, and doing arts and crafts.

Will Page

Planner

As a Planner, Will assists the Planning team in its day-to-day activities and provides support across a wide range of planning projects. He enjoys the exposure he gets within his role to all of these projects and especially appreciates seeing the team’s hard work come to fruition.

Will began working at Pigeon in 2021 after completing his degree in Geography. He is currently progressing toward becoming a Chartered Town Planner following completion of an RTPI accredited MSc in 2023.

Away from work, Will is an accomplished runner who competes regularly for Colchester and Tendring AC and Suffolk – he can run 800 metres in 1 minute and 57 seconds! He is also a big music fan and can often be found at gigs or playing guitar.

Tony Hickman

Senior Technical Manager

As Senior Technical Manager, Tony is responsible for carrying out technical appraisals of sites to assess any constraints and opportunities. He works alongside the Planning team to establish layouts with a real focus on sustainability and active travel links.

Prior to Pigeon Tony had more than 10 years of experience working for various engineering consultancies, including acting as lead Civil Engineer on the delivery of a £30m award-winning West Suffolk Operations Waste Hub.

He joined Pigeon in October 2022 for the opportunity to work for a well-known and respected property company. Tony is a Chartered Civil Engineer and a Fellow of the Institute of Highways Engineers.

Away from work, Tony can be found coaching his son’s football team - he loves every minute of it, from planning the drills to setting the goals up in the rain!