EDINBURGH property developer Chris Stewart Group is looking to corner the urban regeneration market across Scotland and other parts of the UK after expanding its senior management team with two key hires.

Tim Currie has joined the firm as project director after spending the past six years at Goldman Sachs in London while Rory Stephens, who focuses on acquisitions as a member of the firm’s origination team, has come on board from fellow Edinburgh developer Manse.

Chief executive Chris Stewart said the pair had been brought on board to “maximise” the company’s position in the market, with each bringing “a wealth of experience and expertise”.

“As a specialist investor, developer and operator we are finding that new opportunities for regeneration projects, as well as office and leisure developments, are increasingly put our way,” he said.

“There are still a number of key regeneration sites in Scotland’s cities, as well as across the UK. We aim to be selective, assess and mitigate any risks and apply our design expertise, and we’re set up to do just that.”

A chartered quantity surveyor, prior to joining Goldman Sachs Mr Currie spent four years as a director in the UK arm of Dutch design consultancy Arcadis and also led the development of the premises and facilities for Tesco Bank’s general insurance business.

Mr Stephens’ experience includes spells at real-estate company DTZ and Lloyds Banking Group.

Since being founded two decades ago Chris Stewart Group has completed around 750,000 sq ft of developments and is currently in the planning, design or construction stages of a further 500,000 sq ft spread across Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Last month the firm started work on a two-building project that will form part of the wider £850 million St James Quarter regeneration project in Edinburgh City Centre that will include the demolition of a number of existing buildings and the refurbishment of a Victorian-era Venetian Gothic warehouse.

The development at 28 West Register Street, will comprise 61,000sq ft of Grade A office accommodation over eight floors plus 11,000sq ft of retail and restaurant space.