Nick Johnson departs Manchester-based developer as does head of construction Guy Jackson

Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson

Deputy chief executive of developer Urban Splash Nick Johnson has left the firm.

Johnson - who has worked at the Manchester-based regeneration specialist for 15 years - said his departure was 鈥渁micable and a little inevitable given the economic climate isn鈥檛 getting any better鈥.

It also emerged that fellow director Guy Jackson 鈥 who ran the construction arm of the business 鈥 has left the firm.

In a statement Urban Splash said it had promoted directors Simon Gawthorpe and Julian Curnuck to joint chief operating officers on a 鈥渟limmed-down鈥 main board following the departures.

Johnson was responsible for some of the firm鈥檚 most high-profile projects including Park Hill in Sheffield and New Islington in Manchester, both of which Urban Splash is continuing to work on.

He told 黑洞社区: 鈥淚t鈥檚 time for me to set up a new venture鈥鈥檓 looking at new things but things aren鈥檛 signed and sealed. It鈥檚 an amicable separation between myself and my fellow directors at Splash.鈥

Along with the two founders of Urban Splash - chairman Tom Bloxham and chief executive Jonathan Falkingham 鈥 Johnson was a shareholder but declined to comment on the nature of his departure or on what financial settlement had been struck.

Jackson led the delivery of Fort Dunlop and the Rotunda in Birmingham, schemes in Plymouth and more recently the completion of Lakeshore in Bristol.

Speaking of the changes, Bloxham said the new board structure would present an 鈥渙pportunity for some of the very bright, younger talent within the business to play a bigger role in its future鈥.

He added: 鈥淣ick and I have known each other and worked together for more than 20 years. We were there right at the start when 鈥榰rban鈥 was a dirty word. Together with the rest of the team we crafted a company that became a leader in its field and probably the first ever 鈥榖randed鈥 property company. Nick was an integral part of that and is a true pioneer.鈥

Of Jackson, he added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 been fantastic working with Guy and he has done a wonderful job directing the construction of our schemes up and down the country.鈥