Ok, the link between Michael Aspell and professional valuation might seem a little tenuous, but bear with me.

There’s a serious point to be made.

Back when I was a student in the 1990s, the TV show This is Your Life was played to UK audiences of more than 10 million people.

In the show, the host Michael Aspell (or Eamonn Andrews for more mature readers) surprises a special guest before taking them through their life with the assistance of the ‘big red book’.

The major events in the celebrity’s life would be distilled into one singular volume and presented to them at the end of the show with the famous words: “This, is your life.”

In many ways the red book became more iconic than the show itself.

Fast forward two decades and my professional life is also centred around a famous red book, but its very existence is designed specifically to avoid any surprises.

The Red Book is issued by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors as part of the organisation’s commitment to promoting and supporting the highest standards in valuation delivery.

It contains mandatory rules, the latest best practice guidance and related commentary for all RICS members undertaking asset valuations.

As a RICS registered valuer, you could say that the Red Book is my life.

FHP undertakes a wide range of valuations, from loan security and statutory valuations such as compulsory purchase orders, to personal, probate and insurance valuations.

We employ seven RICS registered valuers across our business, all with the experience and capability to provide independent valuations, a crucial aspect of surveying.

Valuations are high-risk and can be highly pressured; there may be several parties with a vested interest in the result.

And on occasions, we may be required to make a valuation on a property without sufficient evidence available to us, something that has become ever more apparent during the coronavirus pandemic.

We strongly believe that it is dangerous to rely on national statistics or second-hand market analysis. It’s one of the many reasons why we work in accordance with RICS’ textbook guidance and requirements.

The Red Book supports our delivery of well-presented, well-reasoned, fully researched, easy-to-understand valuation reports for commercial, residential or specialist sector valuations.

Quality assured, credible and independent, every valuation we arrive at is peer reviewed by other qualified and RICS registered valuers within our business, giving clients the benefit of our vast experience and up-to-the minute market knowledge.

Our valuations also enable our clients, including the majority of the main lenders, to make informed, well-judged decisions.

Ultimately every valuation made by an FHP RICS registered valuer is not only a potential risk to the business but also puts our individual and professional reputation on the line.

It’s why it always pays to refer to the Red Book.

Need a valuation service you can trust? Contact us now: https://www.fhp.co.uk/services/valuations

One of the Midlands’ leading surveyors has advised WCG on an ambitious multi-million pound bid to transform a derelict Grade II listed Georgian-styled mansion into a national training hotel.

Andrew Chapman of Midlands-based property consultancy, FHP, has provided specialist valuation advice in support of WCG’s stage two application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for Moreton Hall in Warwickshire.

WCG is planning to undertake a comprehensive restoration and refurbishment of the much-loved historic building in Moreton Morrell that still bears the scars of a devastating fire in 2008. Expected to cost in the region of £8.5 million, if the application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund is successful, the project would see the creation of a boutique hotel environment, giving students the opportunity to work alongside professionals in their field.

Andrew Chapman, Director, FHP, said: “This was a highly complex valuation project due to the listed nature of the building and its location within a Special Landscape Area, where development is typically constrained. One of the main challenges in restoring a property like Moreton Hall is in ensuring that the building can not only be made fit for purpose within an acceptable budget, but that refurbishment is carried out in a way that does justice to what is an important regional landmark. Working closely with WCG’s designated project team, we are pleased to have reached a valuation that is both logical and sits within a wider body of market evidence. We hope that the application is successful in securing Moreton Hall’s long-term viability.”

John King, project manager, WCG said: “We knew we needed somebody with sufficient experience who would not adopt a ‘painting by numbers’ approach to what was a challenging valuation, with little or no direct comparison from which to draw upon.  We identified Andrew Chapman as the best person to assist us and are grateful for his skill and professionalism in arriving at a justifiable valuation that we believe bears scrutiny. We want to restore this iconic building and create a much needed high quality training venue, capable of providing the next generation of skilled employees in the hospitality and tourism industry. We are hopeful of receiving further support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to enable our vision for The Moreton Hall Hotel Training School to become a reality.”

Moreton Hall is sited on land within the Moreton Morrell Conservation Area, part of an ancient settlement first mentioned in the Domesday Book. The Hall was designed by the society architect and decorator W H Romaine-Walker on behalf of Charles Tuller Garland, son of the co-founder of the National City Bank in New York. Completed in 1908, the Palladian-style Hall included extensive landscaped grounds overlooking the River Avon, with a blue garden, rockeries, a sunken Italianate garden and a polo school.

Although some remedial works were undertaken in the aftermath of a fire, which lasted three days, the once lavishly appointed Moreton Hall suffered millions of pounds of damage, making it unusable in its current state. First used as a training facility as far back as 1939, plans to restore the Hall to its former glory are part of a larger expansion of WCG’s education programmes within its Centre for Hospitality, Heritage and Tourism Skills.

FHP is one of the largest private commercial property consultancies in the Midlands, with six offices located in Nottingham, Derby and Birmingham. Andrew Chapman has previously advised Rushcliffe Borough Council in its application for Heritage Lottery Funding for the redevelopment of the 250-year-old Bridgford Hall. He has also provided specialist valuation advice upon a wide variety of matters including Nottingham Forest Football Club and the entire property portfolio of the University of Nottingham.

For more information please contact Andrew Chapman on 0115 841 1136 / 07887 787 883 or andrew@fhp.co.uk.

Date:  29^th January 2020

A leading commercial property consultancy has supported a Birmingham-based manufacturer in relocating to new premises to make way for the on-going development of the Advanced Manufacturing Hub in Aston.

ZHK Plastics, which produces plastic packaging products, has moved to new premises in Miller Street, Birmingham near the Aston Expressway, from its previous site at the Priory Business Centre, Aston, following a compulsory purchase order (CPO).

The manufacturer has made way for the continuing development of the Advanced Manufacturing Hub, a joint initiative between Birmingham City Council and Homes England, aimed at the advanced manufacturing sector.

The move was facilitated by leading commercial property consultancy, FHP, which specialises in assisting businesses and individuals that are being compulsorily acquired or affected by a scheme of public works.

ZHK Plastics received confirmation of the CPO in late 2017, only months before it was forced to evacuate following the discovery of a Second World War device directly opposite its premises. The controlled explosion of a German shell, weighing up to 500lb, caused significant damage to the company’s stock and an incursion of financial losses.

Andrew Chapman, Director, FHP said: “We are delighted to have supported ZHK Plastics in relocating to new premises. This was not a straightforward process as the company requires a large electrical power supply that is not readily available locally and is in high demand due to similar compulsory acquisitions in the city.

“Birmingham City Council was accommodating in that it permitted the company to remain in occupation after the property was acquired and acknowledged the complexities of relocating the business. CPOs can be complicated by unforeseen circumstances and few could have predicted the damage caused to this business by the controlled explosion. We were able to broker a solution with Birmingham City Council that has enabled us to finalise the majority of ZHK’s claim, whilst still preserving its right to pursue a claim for the devastation brought about by the bomb at a later date.”

Zakir Husain of ZHK Plastics, said: “FHP quickly grasped how our business worked and that was crucial to a successful relocation, giving us time to identify the right premises and allowing us to re-assemble equipment in stages to avoid a full shut down. It has been a traumatic time, made even worse by the bomb blast. Whilst it’s not something we would ever wish to go through again, we thank Birmingham City Council for recognising the difficulties we faced and are grateful to FHP for the knowledge and expertise they provided throughout.”

Established in 1990, FHP is now one of the largest private commercial property consultancies within the Midlands, with six offices located in Nottingham, Derby and Birmingham. It offers services in sales and lettings, acquisitions, valuations, business rates, rent reviews, lease renewals, development consultancy, compulsory purchase and service charge consultancy, across the retail, leisure, office and industrial sectors.

FHP opened its first West Midlands office at 122 Colmore Row in Birmingham earlier this year. The property consultancy, which brought two popular London-based leisure brands – Flight Club and Franco Manca – to Birmingham this summer, is working on a number of CPO projects across the region, including claimants affected by the preparation for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Contact Andrew Chapman

Email: andrew@fhp.co.uk