Birmingham property consultancy expands in Bristol

A BIRMINGHAM-based specialist property consultancy has expanded its UK presence with the opening of a new office in Bristol.

Hamer Associates, which specialises in providing compulsory purchase advice and overcoming utility constraints on development sites, was established in 2000 and is based in Colmore Row.

The firm, acts for leading UK housebuilders and landowners affected by major infrastructure projects.  Many of the firm’s clients are already active in the South West and a growth of work in that region – including around the Hinkley Point C Connection – has led to the establishment of the new office.

Charles Hamer, senior director, said the company’s investment reflected confidence that work would continue to grow in the region.

“Bristol and the South West has always been a major source of the specialist work we undertake for a wide range of clients and we are confident that the requirement for our services will continue to increase.   In order to meet the increasing demand we need a team based permanently in the area,” he said.

“With the Government continuing to increase new-build targets for housebuilders, we are seeing a growth in demand from developers for advice about how overhead lines and other utilities can be removed from sites or how compensation can be achieved.

“Housebuilders are urgently seeking advice around utilities apparatus to enable the removal or diversion of development constraints such as overhead lines and gas pipes to allow developments to happen and housing targets to be met.”

He said the Hinkley Point C Connection was a huge project which fell exactly into the firm’s areas of expertise. The work will see the existing 132,000 volt overhead electricity cabling removed and a new 400,000 volt connection created at Bridgwater and Seabank, affecting a huge number of landowners in the region, including a number of Hamer’s clients.

“We have grown significantly in the last few years and doubled our turnover last year so we feel the time is right to put down permanent roots in the Bristol area. We are actively looking to recruit more staff from the local area as we look to establish a major presence in the Bristol property market,” said Hamer.