Pictured above: Johnson Fellows' new buildings consultancy team (from left) Sunil Dhanda, Craig Smith, Anthony Foster and Andrew Rowson

Leading Midlands-based chartered surveyors Johnson Fellows has announced the creation of a new team to lead its ambitious expansion into building consultancy. 

Partner Andrew Rowson has been joined by associate partner Anthony Foster, senior surveyor Craig Smith and graduate Sunil Dhanda as the company seeks to capitalise on its strong relationship with some of the UK's leading retail brands.

Johnson Fellows' new building consultancy department is working with clients including supermarket giants such as Asda, leading chemists Boots, and telecommunications company Phones4U, as well as major public sector and healthcare organisations.

The Birmingham-based company's major investment in its new department could soon see the team of four grow to 10 as it looks to become multi-disciplinary and employ structural and building services engineers.

Mr Rowson said: "These are exciting times at Johnson Fellows. We are experiencing significant growth in the building consultancy sector by capitalising on our existing strong relationships to provide an excellent level of service to major retail clients throughout the UK."

He added: "Having our own building consultancy department keeps the entire range of associated work within the company rather than having to appoint other suppliers. It is proving to be a real asset as we don't have to outsource to other companies. The building surveying department is also benefiting from instructions from other departments within the business.

"Clients appreciate it because we can handle everything. We compete with architects on the project side, designing from scratch, project management, all the way through to handing over the keys. Moving forward we want to grow the business and become multi-disciplinary."

The building consultancy team undertakes a wide range of property and construction related projects varying from new build and refurbishment schemes, up to a value of £5 million, and detailed specific surveys on properties for wide ranging purposes.

It is directly employed as lead consultants for design and project management services. This type of work includes healthcare, education, leisure, commercial, retail and industrial clients. The range of services provided includes:

• Architectural and project management services.

• Residential and commercial building surveys.

• Schedules of condition/dilapidations for landlords and tenants.

• Stock condition surveys.

• Asbestos surveys.

• Expert witness reports (building disputes).

• Monitoring surveyors.

• Party wall surveyors.

• Planned maintenance.

The company is also a member of the UK Building Surveyors (UKBS), a group of 16 companies that covers the whole of the UK and Ireland, working together to compete for larger, multi-million pound projects.

Johnson Fellows is a commercial retail agency established in 1984. The practice encompasses several specialist departments and acts for a variety of clients including retailers, investors, developers, financiers and occupiers of commercial property.

The practice specialises in providing professional advice, current market information, guidance through the constantly changing laws and statutes which govern the use of property and, above all, in providing a service which seeks to achieve the optimum commercial outcome for clients. Our team of dedicated surveyors advises many of the UK's national multiple retailers on a nationwide basis.