Fenn Wright
With a proud history of more than 250 years working for clients predominantly within Essex and Suffolk.
Fenn Wright is East Anglia’s leading independently owned private partnership of Chartered Surveyors, commercial property experts and estate agents. Our award winning commercial property team offer an unrivalled range of professional skills and local market knowledge and provide industry leading levels of service.
We have offices across Essex and Suffolk, with our Commercial team operating from Chelmsford, Colchester and Ipswich. We represent a broad spectrum of clients, including investors and developers, landlords and tenants, property companies, pension funds, business owners and private individuals. Our services include:
- Commercial Agency: sales, lettings and acquisitions across all main sectors.
- Valuations: loan security valuations, expert witness reports, SIPP/SSAS valuations,financial accounting, probate, taxation including 1982 & retrospective valuations,development, acquisition and disposal.
- Building Consultancy: building survey’s, dilapidations, project management,reinstatement cost assessments, development advice, new build design, plannedpreventative maintenance planning, contract administration and planning & buildingregulations.
- Landlord & Tenant: lease renewals & rent reviews, lease advice, dilapidationnegotiations and submissions to arbitrators & independent experts.
- Property Management: rent collection, service charge administration, health & safetycompliance, inspections, financial reporting and maintenance services.
Our commercial team regularly enjoy success in the coveted Estate Gazette awards including ‘Most Active Commercial Agent in Essex’ and ‘Most Active Commercial Agent in Suffolk’.
Essex, Suffolk
1 Tollgate East, Stanway, Colchester CO3 8RQ
Ipswich Office:1 Buttermarket, Ipswich, IP1 1BA
Colchester Office:882 The Crescent, Colchester Business Park, Colchester, CO4 9YQ
Chelmsford Office:20 Duke Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1HL
Our Team
Alistair Mitchell, MRICS
Partner, Head of Commercial Division
Alistair started his career as a land agent before joining Fenn Wright in 1991 and qualifying as a General Practice Chartered Surveyor in 1994, becoming a Partner within the Commercial Division in 2008.
He has extensive experience of the commercial property market in Suffolk and acts for a wide range of property companies, local businesses and private clients.
John Birchall, MRICS
Partner, Head of Valuation Services
John started his career in 2006 as a general practice Commercial Surveyor, studying part-time and becoming a Chartered Commercial Property Surveyor and RICS registered Valuer in 2015. After joining Fenn Wright in 2016, John became a Salaried Partner in 2020, and was promoted to Head of Valuation Services in 2022. John became an equity Partner of Fenn Wright in April 2023.
John has extensive experience in most aspects of valuation, for a whole host of purposes, including; Loan Security, Expert Witness, Private Client, Asset Accounting, SIPP/SSAS and local government function to name a few.
Lewis Chambers, FRICS
Senior Valuer
Advising owners and occupiers since 1981, Lewis gained experience at a number of local and national firms prior to joining Fenn Wright in 1998. Lewis specialises in red book valuations and valuation disputes which might arise in connection with rent reviews, lease renewals or which arise from joint ownership problems. Lewis also undertakes business rate appeals and has wide experience dealing with insolvency situations and repossessed properties.
With a broad skill set and such a wealth of experience in the local property market, Lewis is a compelling ‘first port of call’ for clients seeking a balanced opinion and one stop advice.
Michael Moody
Partner, Commercial Agency
Michael started his career in Commercial Agency in 2006 with Newman Commercial which was acquired by Fenn Wright in August 2017. Michael was promoted to Partner in April 2020.
Michael was awarded ‘Most Active Dealmaker’ in the South East by the Estates Gazette in 2021 and 2022, and ‘Most Active Dealmaker’ in the East of England in 2023. The award was for completing a greater number of commercial agency transactions than any other agent within the year across those areas.
Nigel Berry, MRICS
Partner, Building Consultancy
Nigel started his career as a building surveyor/architectural technician in East London and Central London before joining Fenn Wright. He joined Fenn Wright in 1998 and became a Chartered Building Surveyor in 2003 and then a Salaried Partner in 2014.
He has extensive experience and knowledge within the local area and has a wide range of skills associated with a Chartered Building Surveyor. He acts for a number of large regional companies advising them on general property matters.
Donald Barber, MRICS
Partner, Building Consultancy
Donald started his career managing leasehold residential properties whilst studying for his Building Surveying Degree before joining Fenn Wright in 2015. Having qualified as a Chartered Building Surveyor in 2017 Donald provides his clients with a wide range of Building Consultancy services and advises on a range of property types.
Stephen Nash
Associate Partner, Head of Commercial Property Management
Stephen is Head of Commercial Property Management and joined Fenn Wright in September 2018 with over 25 years’ experience in commercial management in London, most recently 15 years with JLL as an Associate Director being the fund leader of the L&G Linked Pension Property UK Fund. Stephen’s extensive knowledge of commercial management, including service charge accounts, along with his friendly approach and focused work nature make him able to carry out tasks with the highest level of competency.
John Logan, MRICS
Partner, Commercial Agency
John joined Fenn Wright in 2016 as a graduate based at our head office in Stanway. At the beginning of 2018 he relocated to Chelmsford where he successfully specialises in commercialagency. John has just completed his MSc degree in Real Estate at the University College of Estate Management and is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Jeremy Newman, MRICS
Partner, Commercial
Jeremy qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1985, and subsequently worked for a multi-national until 1996, when he set up his own Commercial Property Consultancy. Newman Commercial was acquired by Fenn Wright in August 2017.
With extensive knowledge of the commercial property market within East Anglia, over the years Jeremy has been involved with many substantial transactions for a variety of clients.
Hamish Stone, MRICS
Associate Partner, Commercial Agency
Having come from a local property background, Hamish has always had a keen interest in the property sector. Having joined Fenn Wright in 2016 as a Commercial Surveyor, he soon became an integral part of the team and specialises in commercial agency.
Hamish has an MSc in Real Estate from the University College of Estate Management and completed his training to become a member of Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in 2021.
James Wright
Associate Partner, Commercial Agency
James has been involved with commercial agency in Essex since 2005 and became Associate Partner in 2018. He has a degree in Real Estate Management from Anglia Ruskin University and is experienced with all aspects of commercial property.
For the second consecutive year, James has been awarded ‘Most Active Dealmaker in Essex’ by the Estates Gazette. The awards were for completing a greater number of commercial agency transactions than any other agent within a year across Essex. Acting on behalf on local businesses, private individuals, property companies and funds, James enjoys the challenge of securing the best deal for his clients.
Ruth Warnes, MRICS
Associate Partner, Commercial Valuations
Ruth studied for a Degree in Land Management at the University of Reading before qualifying as a Chartered Surveyor in 2005. She worked as a General Practice Surveyor, covering all mattersfrom lanning applications and residential valuations to farm valuations and rural diversification projects for a number of years before moving into Commercial Valuations. After a career break to raise a family, Ruth worked in both trading and commercial valuations before running a team of Property Managers for a large pension fund. Ruth has focused on commercial and residential valuations for the past 5 years.
Edward Nolan
Commercial Agent
Ed joined Fenn Wright in 2021 as part of the Commercial Agency Team, dealing with sales and lettings of commercial property in Colchester and the surrounding areas. Having previously lived abroad in New Zealand and Australia, Ed moved back to the UK in 2020 and is currently studying towards a MSc (Hons) Degree in Real Estate with the University College of Estate Management, whilst also undertaking the APC Commercial pathway, working towards becoming a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.
Callum Anderson, MRICS
Professional Valuation Surveyor
Callum started his career in 2020 as a Residential Valuation Surveyor working on behalf of registered providers and local authorities. Callum joined Fenn Wright in 2022 as a Commercial Valuation Surveyor and assists with valuations including loan security, private client, asset accounting, SIPP/SSAS and landlord and tenant work.
Craig Bennett
Surveyor, Building Consultancy
Craig joined Fenn Wright on a part time basis in 2018 whilst undertaking studies at college. After completing his Level 3 BTEC in Construction and the Built Environment, Craig advanced to the 5-year part time Building Surveying degree course at Anglia Ruskin University. He continues his studies whilst working at Fenn Wright within the Building Consultancy team.
Roger Hayward, MRICS
Consultant
Roger is a Chartered Surveyor with some 35 years experience in the commercial property sector. Actively involved in a broad range of professional and commercial agency instructions, he specialises in Planning and Development matters including strategic site sales and acquisition, viability assessments and site appraisal and valuation.
Having qualified as a land agent and attended the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, Roger
returned to Colchester in 1975 to work at CM Stanford & Son, who were then Partners with Fenn Wright in Colchester Market Auctions. Roger joined Fenn Wright in 1990; became a Partner in 1992; served as Managing Partner from 1996 to 2004 and acted as Senior Partner from 2009 to 2021, before becoming a Consultant for the firm.
Roger is a Board Member and past President of The CPN.