Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Supplemental Information - Post of Senior Estates Surveyor

Knowsley

Knowsley is one of five metropolitan districts of Merseyside; it is well located just 15 minutes from Liverpool City Centre and the Port of Liverpool and 30 minutes from Manchester situated between these two northern powerhouse cities. Knowsley boasts superb motorway (M57 and M62), rail and air connections.

Home to the famous Knowsley Hall and Safari Park, Knowsley also has a proud industrial and manufacturing heritage and is a well-established home for internationally successful business and big brand names.

In Knowsley a proud industrial heritage is complemented by consistent growth and opportunities in sectors including advanced manufacturing, logistics and green energy. And with developments like SuperPort, Atlantic Gateway and the new Mersey Gateway, the opportunities for business are exceptional.

Knowsley Business Park

Knowsley Business Park is one of the largest employment areas in Europe and is home to more than 800 businesses employing 15,000 people across 1,000 acres. With further investment planned in the park its importance as a regional business base is without doubt.

Knowsley Business Park is home to some of the most successful companies in the UK. High performing brands like Matalan, QVC and Amazon have chosen Knowsley, due in no small part to its unrivalled location, connectivity and great workforce as well as thousands of small to medium enterprises and entrepreneurs across all sectors of industry, creating a dynamic business community. The park has also seen the first large scale industrial speculative development in the North West for a number of years. The development, Venus 110, supported by the Council, comprises an 110,000 square feet new distribution centre, recently leased to Amazon as one of its regional distribution centres.

Knowsley Council Property Ownership within Knowsley Business Park

Knowsley Council owns approximately 70% of the land comprising Knowsley Business Park, some 700 acres in total, comprising approximately 565 separate property assets managed by the Council’s Property and Development Service. The Council holds these assets for investment purposes and to be able influence the management and development of the business park to enhance the borough’s economic development. Within the Property and Development Service a dedicated team of three (including this post) manage all the Council’s assets at Knowsley Business Park.

Knowsley Council’s Relationship with Business

The Council is both ambitious and confident in its relationship with business and exhibited at the MIPIM 2015 property conference in London where it staged a number of events centred on its industrial and residential development opportunities. It also organises the annual Knowsley Business and Regeneration Awards within the Grand Marquee at Knowsley Safari Park, where the best of Knowsley business and property development / regeneration is celebrated. In addition the Council has established the Knowsley Place Board made up of ambassadors who are prominent business leaders to strategically guide the promotion of the borough as a place in which to invest. Knowsley Chamber of Commerce has co-located with the Council at its offices in Huyton, further strengthening the link between the Council and business.

The Knowsley Business Park Team

The team comprises:

Nic Fitzpatrick, Property Development Manager, is a chartered surveyor with 30 years property experience in all aspects of property management and development split equally between the public and private sectors.

Louise May, Senior Estates Surveyor, is a chartered surveyor and since qualifying in 2009 has worked in both the public and private sectors dealing predominately with industrial agency, development, management and consultancy work.

The Role

The role is outward facing and the work is varied including both the day to day management of the Council’s assets as well as seeking to support, through negotiation, the development of Council land by the private sector, whether businesses or developers. The successful applicant will engage directly with businesses, professionals across a range of disciplines and developers.

The purpose of the job, together with the duties and responsibilities, are included in the Job Description but to add some context the work will include the acquisition, disposal, management, appraisal, valuation, rent review, lettings, lease renewals, surveys, assignments, consents, repair and maintenance, ensuring tenant compliance with covenants, and generally managing the Council’s landlord relationship with its tenants in a broad range of property related advice.

The Property and Development Service has developed an Asset Management Plan which has assessed all the Councils assets on the business park and developed a strategy to prioritise and manage these assets. Decisions relating to the Council’s assets at Knowsley Business Park are taken at an appropriate level so that property transactions can happen swiftly with a minimum amount of red tape or bureaucracy and in line with the requirements of businesses.

The successful applicant will join Nic and Louise in undertaking this work on behalf of the Council and will be replacing an existing member of staff.

The Property and Development Service, comprises seven chartered surveyors and additional support staff providing the Council with advice on all its operational buildings and non-operational property investments and land holdings.

Further Information

Further information can be obtained by contacting Nic Fitzpatrick on 0151 443 2304 or by e-mail at nic.fitzpatrick@knowsley.gov.uk and can be found in the following links:-

Knowsley Business Park

Knowsley Brochure

Knowsley Story