Preston Baker’s Hugh Roberts celebrates RICS success!

Hours of study alongside a demanding full-time job have paid off for Preston Baker’s Hugh Roberts

Hours of study alongside a demanding full-time job have paid off for Preston Baker’s Hugh Roberts, as he has just qualified as a Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ Associate and Registered Valuer.

Hugh, who heads up the land and planning department within the company’s New Homes, Land and Planning side of the business, has spent the last three years working towards the qualifications, supported financially and in time off for study by Preston Baker.

“I am extremely grateful to Preston Baker for supporting me in my career advancement and training; the company really could not have been more encouraging or supportive,” said Hugh.

Former Law student Hugh is delighted to become a RICS Associate and Registered Valuer. RICS is the professional body that regulates and enforces the highest standards in the valuation, management and development of land, property and construction sectors. RICS was established back in 1792 and has been maintaining high quality surveying and other property-related services for more than 200 years. Any individual or firm registered with them is subject to rigorous quality assurances. This ensures that clients who work with RICS registered professionals can have confidence in the quality and ethics of the services they receive.

It’s been quite a year for Hugh as earlier in the year he was promoted to Associate Director in recognition of the work he has done after being brought into Preston Baker back in April 2018 as Land Manager to set up a new land and planning department within New Homes and Land. He has taken the new department from strength-to-strength. In 2020, the company’s New Homes and Land departments were instrumental in the disposal of over £80m in property.

“It was a real honour to get the promotion at the age of 27,” said Hugh.

Hugh and his team assist Yorkshire landowners in realising value in land, with a major focus on sites suitable for five-20 homes in villages and small towns where a high quality housing scheme which complements the environment can be built, and also on renewable energy projects.

Hugh joined Preston Baker from Coalters estate and letting agents in York; a company he joined through a graduate scheme. Before that he worked for Crew Clothing in East Anglia and then almost purchased a bakery in Masham!

Hugh’s firm focus now is to make Preston Baker the leading specialist for planning and development in Yorkshire, and to develop a team of people ready and hungry to achieve that goal.

“We are always on the look-out for barns and sites suitable for development and I just love getting out and about meeting land and property owners keen to realise value in land and property they no longer have a use for or want to sell. It’s tremendously satisfying creating opportunities for people and communities.”

He also intends to keep studying and add to his qualifications.