Hartnell Taylor Cook - Appointment - Bristol,

Date: 04 Mar 2010

Andrew Batchelor takes over as president of the Bristol Property Agents Association.

Andrew Batchelor of Hartnell Taylor Cook LLP has taken over the role of president of the Bristol Property Agents Association from outgoing president Chris Howarth, at the recent annual dinner held in the city.

The Bristol Property Agents Association was first formed in 1946 and the membership is drawn from a large number of businesses involved primarily in all aspects of commercial and residential property and includes surveyors, solicitors, architects, engineers, developers and contractors. As well as fostering and developing relationships between the professionals and members, it aims to create a positive image of Greater Bristol and to encourage investment in the city.

Andrew Batchelor has strong routes with the city, after growing up in Bristol and has worked with one of the City's leading commercial consultants, Hartnell Taylor Cook LLP, since leaving University in 1983. Between 2001 and 2006, Andrew was Managing Partner and remains Partner in charge of the development sector.

Andrew has worked in all sectors of the property agency industry and is a specialist in the development market in the Greater Bristol area.

Over the past years Andrew has specifically been involved in the redevelopment of the city's bus station , the development of Portbury Docks, the redevelopment of The Galleries Shopping Centre, the development of a number of notable office headquarter buildings including Templeback, The Paragon and Tower Wharf and is currently advising on the future of Temple Meads Station and the immediate surrounding area.

Andrew takes over as President at a time when the shock waves of the recession are still reverberating around the property market and there is continuing uncertainty over how quickly the market will recover and what the repercussions will be.

Andrew Batchelor said: ""At the end of last year there were some early signs of recovery in the commercial market, in particular in the prime investment market, where a number of sizeable deals concluded in the region. Whilst occupational demand remains sporadic a number of significant office and industrial deals have been placed in solicitor's hands. If these complete then they will take a sizeable chunk out of the city's office supply, especially at the top end.

"Hopefully the market will improve over the next twelve months and we all need to ensure that Bristol as a whole is set up and ready to compete at the highest level, both within the Private and Public sectors.

"We at the BPAA will continue to work closely with the City Council to ensure a real team approach in a highly competitive market."

" Bristol has so much to offer and is certainly a place I am very proud of and I relish the prospect of working hard over the next twelve months for its greater good."

Andrew Batchelor, new president of the Bristol Property Agents Association

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