Independent Experts

Jeremy Beeching

SBC Property, Daniell House, Falmouth Road,Truro, Cornwall TR1 2HZ

01872 277397 | jeremy@sbcproperty.com
SW England

Jeremy is a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and a Fellow of the Association of Valuers of Licensed Property. He has over 35 years experience specialising within the licensed and leisure sector.

Jeremy is a partner of SBC Property who cover the complete range of commercial property services to include agency, rent reviews, lease renewals, valuations and management throughout the SW England.

Jeremy is an independent surveyor with no conflict of interest with any national or local breweries or pub companies and the majority of his workload is acting for tenants against pub companies.

Andrew Crease FRICS, FCIArb,

Andrew Crease & Co, 4th Floor, 4-12 Regent Street, London SW1Y 4PE

0203 3562984 | andrew@alcoprop.co.uk
London and South East, South West and the East of England

Andrew has been a general practice surveyor since 1989 and has specialised in leisure and licensed property since 1999.

Over the last 24 years he has acted for a mixture of landlord and tenant clients on rent review and lease renewals matters and has for the last 18 years been appointed as independent expert and arbitrator in numerous rental disputes.

His client base derives from independent landlord and tenant clients.

Alan Creevy BSC

CDLH CHARTERED SURVEYORS, 166 BUCHANAN STREET, GLASGOW G1 2LW

01413310650 | alan.creevy@cdlh.co.uk
Scotland and North of England

A Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Alan is a founding Director of CDLH Leisure & Hospitality Surveyors, having previously been a National Director of the Licensed Leisure & Hotels department at Jones Lang LaSalle.

Previous to working at JLL, he was founder and Managing Director of Creevy LLH. Chartered Surveyors. He provides advice to the leisure and hospitality sector throughout Scotland and the North of England. Alan is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a Member of the Royal Institution of Arbiters.

In the past 5 years Alan acted for M&B and Pub Enterprises / Star Pubs and Bars multiple premises owning landlords in rent review cases. In addition, Alan has acted in an agency capacity for M&B, Star Bars, Trust Inns, Maclay Inns.

Alan is a specialist in professional negligence work within the licensed leisure and hotel sector at High Court level and is a member of the UK wide RICS Presidents Panel of Experts. His expertise is also apparent in the rent reviews of public houses, hotels, restaurants and leisure properties as a member of the RICS Chairman’s Panel of Arbitrators and Experts.

Barry Crux FRICS ACIArb

Barry Crux and Company Limited, 20 Castlegate, York YO1 9RP

01904 659990 | Barry@barrycrux.co.uk
North of England and Midlands

Barry qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1977 and is also an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, since 1992. He has been involved in the commercial property market for 50 years and specialises in the leisure and licensed sector with some commercial property.

He set up Barry Crux and Company in July 1989 covering the North of England and the Midlands.

Barry also held positions as President of the General Practice Division of the RICS, represented the Yorkshire Branch on various committees and working parties over the years, as well as founding Index, a body for training of Independent Experts.

He is regularly appointed as Arbitrator, Independent Expert, and Independent Assessor (Pubs Code) by various bodies and jointly by the parties in valuation and rent disputes.

Peter darroch BSc FRICS

CDLH CHARTERED SURVEYORS, 166 Buchanan Street, Glasgow G1 2LW

01413310650 | peter.darroch@cdlh.co.uk
Scotland and North of England

Peter Darroch is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a founding Director of CDLH Leisure & Hospitality Surveyors, having previously been a National Director of the Licensed Leisure & Hotels department at Jones Lang LaSalle.  Previous to working at JLL, he was a founding Director of Creevy LLH Chartered Surveyors.  He provides advice to the leisure and hospitality sector throughout Scotland and the north of England.


Throughout his career, Peter has undertaken valuations for various purposes, including loan security, private and corporate pre-purchase, insolvency and expert witness etc.  He has been directly involved in co-ordinating large group valuations as well as representing private & corporate clients and insolvency practitioners in the sale of leisure properties. He has also provided consultancy advice to banks, corporate and enterprise companies as well as expert witness advice over the valuation of public houses, hotels, restaurants and other licensed property.

Over the past five years Peter has acted on behalf of Punch Taverns, Star, Trust Inns and Hawthorn on public house disposals and lettings.

Peter has acted for private and corporate clients in rent review cases for public houses, restaurants, hotels and other licensed property. 

Stephen Hattley, Dip Arb FRICS

Eddisons, 4 BASSETT COURT, NORTHAMPTON NN4 5EZ

01604 662950 / 07800 517 711 | stephen.hattley@eddisons.com
East Midlands, South East, South West, West Midlands and Wales

Stephen is an independent expert, arbitrator and Independent Assessor (Pubs Code) with over 20 years’ experience and has resolved approximately 250 cases. Whilst employed at Eddisons, Stephen have been appointed as arbitrator or independent expert on some 100 properties (mostly licensed or leisure), either as an RICS Dispute Resolution Service panel member or by agreement of the parties.

Since the introduction of the Pubs Code he has been appointed as Independent Assessor (MRO) on some 45 occasions, nearly all of which were made directly by agreement of the Pub Owning Business and the Tied Pub Tenant.

Stephen has not acted for landlords or tenants in rental negotiations since he was a director at Christie and Co some 10 years ago.

John Houston

John Houston Consulting, 82 King Street, Manchester M2 4WQ

0161 935 8226 | john@johnhoustonconsulting.co.uk
Regions covered: – North West

John’s qualifications are BSc Hons (Est Man) Dip.Arb FRICS ACI.Arb. John has been involved with the licensed industry since 1980 and receives appointments from the President of RICS to act as Arbitrator and Independent Expert in rent review disputes.

John represents numerous individual landlords and tenants.

Tony Hunter

Savills (UK) Ltd, Belvedere, 12 Booth Street,Manchester M2 4AW

0161 244 7704 | thunter@savills.com
Regions covered:- West Midlands, East Midlands, North, North West, Wales, & Yorkshire

Tony has over 35 years’ experience of pub valuations throughout the country with regular appointments as third party from RICS who appoint him arbitrator and independent expert in rent review disputes.

In the past five years Tony has acted occasionally for long established breweries in respect of rent reviews on their tenanted estates but has not acted for major Pub Co Landlords and for tenants.

In order to maintain full impartiality and act in an independent capacity, he has not attended any “rent forums” organised by pub companies or tenant bodies.

Dougie Lambie MRICS MCIArb

Associate Partner, Ryden, 130 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5HF

0141 270 3144 | douglas.lambie@ryden.co.uk
North England and Scotland

Dougie heads up Licensed Leisure within Ryden, covering the North of England and Scotland. He is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is also an accredited Expert Witness and is on the RICS Chairman’s Panel of Commercial Rent Review Experts.

He has extensive experience within the licensed sector of the property market and within Licensed Leisure in Ryden, is involved in agency work, rating appeals, valuations, rent reviews and lease renewals and also carries out fixtures and fittings valuations.

Prior to this Dougie has extensive experience with large pub companies located within the UK, with the responsibility of identifying appropriate investments and subsequent financial planning, he was also responsible for the completion of rent events and new lets in line with the Industry Code of Practice.

Daniel Tadeusz Mackernan

Savills (UK) Ltd, 33 Margaret Street, London W1G 0JD

0207 299 3050
 | DMackernan@savills.com
Regions covered: East of England, London, South East

Daniel is a Chartered Surveyor, Honorary Secretary of the AVLP and Associate BII member with over 21 years of pub rent review experience.

He specialises in the valuation and rent reviews of public houses. Active across London, the Southeast and East Anglia he is also a RICS trained Independent Expert and Independent Assessor under the Pubs Code.

Daniel is very active in the market and provides advice to a wide range of operators and landlords. He is often called upon to provide independent advice. He provides management advice to Tavern PropCo where he acts as ‘estate manager’ for approximately 100 pubs where his role includes lettings and rent reviews for this free of tie pub estate. He also undertakes lettings for Wellington Pub Company. He advises major Institutions and landowners where a traditional pub company is the tenant.

His current workload is split broadly 70% acting for landlord (as a result of his management for Tavern PropCo, which is the only pub company, he currently provides advice to), 20% acting for tenant and 10% as Expert.

CV last updated 13.4.22

Paul Newby

Matthew Phillips Surveyors MANOR COURT, 184e CHESTER ROAD, STREETLY Sutton Coldfield B74 3NA

0121 353 2757 / 07836 722950 | paul@matthewphillipssurveyors.co.uk
Regions Covered – East, East Midlands, North West, South West, West Midlands, Yorkshire, Humberside and Wales

Paul has over 40 years’ experience in the pub sector dealing with rent reviews and lease renewals for both Tenants and Landlords, as well as a wide range of other professional and agency work. Formerly a Director of Fleurets, Paul is now a Director at Matthew Phillips Surveyors, with primary responsibility for professional work including all dispute resolution and expert witness appointments.

Paul has been a member of the RICS President’s panel of Arbitrators and Independents Experts since 2000 and was appointed as the first Pubs Code Adjudicator from 2016 – 2020. He is also a member of the Association of Valuers of Licensed Property and the BII. Paul was one of the original authors of PIRRS.

In his current role Paul undertakes agency and professional work for both pub companies and their tenants. In all cases Paul will make a full declaration of any involvements that might be or be perceived to be a conflict of interest with either the parties or the property before accepting an instruction.

Thomas Nichols

Everard Cole, Sheraton House, Castle Park, Cambridge CB3 0AX

01223 370055 | tom@everardcole.co.uk
Regions Covered: East, East Midlands and London

Tom is a Chartered Surveyor and has over 25 years experience in the licensed property sector being a RICS Registered Valuer and Fellow of Association of Valuers of Licensed Property.

Tom worked for various pub companies prior to founding Everard Cole, so has first-hand working knowledge and experience on both sides of the fence, so is well placed to understand both landlord and tenants positions to ensure agreements can be clearly conveyed and aired in a professional manner.

Tom acts for several independent, regional and individual businesses. He has also acted for most pub companies including Greene King, Punch Pub, Ei Group and Wellington Pub Co, mainly on the request of landlords. He is experienced with rent review and lease renewal discussions, as well as MRO discussions.

Jonathan Simon Reakes

JS Reakes Ltd, St Brandons House, 29 Great George Street,Bristol, BS1 5QT

0117 9200090 | jon@jsreakes.co.uk
South West, West Midlands and Wales

Jon has over 25 years of experience in providing valuation advice within the Licensed trade, acting for Landlords and Tenants in rent review and lease renewal disputes, as well as providing valuation advice across the sector.
Jon is an RICS Registered Valuer and member of the AVLP.

John Spacey FRICS FAVLP

The Cobbs Consultancy, 5 Downlands, Harrietsham Maidstone Kent ME17 1LE

01233 713416 07850336466 | cobbconsult@gmail.com
Regions covered: – East of England, London, South East

John has almost 50 years experience in the licensed trade valuing pubs, hotels, clubs and restaurants throughout the South East, East, London and the South.

He is a Rent Review Surveyor and Rent Assessor under the pub code.

John has not acted for Punch, Star, EI, Spirit or Greene King on Rent Reviews.

John has limited involvement with Shepherd Neame in the last 5 years. He continues to work for independent tenants.

John confirms that he holds Professional Indemnity Insurance to act as an Independent Rent Review Surveyor.

David Sutcliffe BSc MRICS

Fleurets Prospect House, 324 Moston Lane East, Manchester M40 3HZ

0161 683 5445 / 07860 849236 | david.sutcliffe@fleurets.com
North, North West and North Wales

David has 34 years experience within the licensed, leisure and hospitality sectors and qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1988.

David’s role as Director & National Head of Professional Services at Fleurets gives him substantial experience in rent reviews acting for both Landlord and Tenants in both tied and free of tie negotiations as well as MRO.

Within the last five years and has acted for Punch, Marstons, Greene King, Stonegate and Admiral Taverns, but also acted against Star Bars and Marstons in rent review matters. Given Fleurets wider involvement within the industry he has also acted for against a wider range of breweries and PubCo’s on other licensed property matters including valuations and agency work.

David is a Member of RICS and author of the RICS iSurv website Guide to the Valuation of Public Houses.

Chris Whirledge

Pub Innsite, Abbots Bromley, Rugeley, WS15 3EW

07889 395771 | chris@pubinnsite.co.uk
Regions Covered: North West, West Midlands, East Midlands and South East

Chris qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1996.

Before setting up Pub Innsite in 2007, Chris worked for Greene King, Spirit Group and Marston’s allowing an insight into landlord and tenant relationships and the workings of tied pub companies.

He has mainly worked on behalf of tenants with regard to professional and MRO work, with the exception of a limited number of free of tie, independent landlords.

Chris is unaware of any conflicts of interest at a personal or company level regarding tied pub companies in the last 10 years.