Hub North Scotland creates place and development director post and promotes project director

Hub North Scotland has appointed John Edwards to the newly created post of place and development director and promoted Marcus Weurman to project director, announcing the two appointments on 5 November as its operations grow.

Edwards, who joined the business in March 2023, takes up the new role with immediate effect, hub North said. He will work with clients, governments, agencies, supply chain partners, developers and funders to secure new opportunities across education, health, housing, energy, leisure and social care.

Weurman steps up from development manager to project director. Hub North said he has been with the hub programme since 2017, originally at hub South East, and is a chartered surveyor with more than 20 years' experience in the commercial and residential sectors.

Richard Park, chief executive of Hub North Scotland, said the appointments underlined the growth of the company's operations and strengthened its offer to public sector clients. He said: "Their new roles will take that even further and strengthens the commitment to our clients to help them meet the challenges of developing new community infrastructure and improving service delivery."

The appointees

Edwards joined hub North as a project director and led delivery of the Union Street Central streetscape and new market projects in Aberdeen, which form part of Aberdeen City Council's £150m City Centre and Beach Masterplan, according to the announcement. His hub North profile describes him as a chartered surveyor and a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

He has also been part of the hub North team working on Highland Council's £2.1bn Highland Investment Plan and has led the company's housing strategy, hub North said.

Weurman has worked across several hub North projects, advising clients on place-based reviews and on how to use estate assets more effectively and efficiently, the company said.

The Aberdeen work

Hub North runs the project management office for Aberdeen's City Centre and Beach Masterplan, according to an earlier hub North release. Work on Union Street Central, covering the stretch between the Market Street and Bridge Street junctions, started in April 2024.

Morrison Construction is main contractor for the Union Street Central works and is also building the adjoining new market building, hub North said. Aberdeen City Council was to receive £20m from the UK Levelling Up Fund towards the two projects.

The Highland programme

Highland Council approved the Highland Investment Plan on 9 May 2024, when it described the programme as worth £2bn over 20 years. A more recent council release, and hub North's announcement, put the figure at £2.1bn.

The plan is funded by ring-fencing 2% of council tax each year, which the council said would generate capital to maintain the funding plan over the long term. Highland Council has overall responsibility for delivering the programme, with hub North Scotland supporting it as delivery partner, the council said in February 2026 when it named preferred contractors for the first phase of projects.

The hubco model

Hub North Scotland is one of five public/private partnership hub companies, known as hubcos, set up by the Scottish Futures Trust. Formed in 2011, it acts as strategic development partner for 16 public sector organisations in its territory and has delivered or is working on £1.05bn of projects, according to the company.