Property experts to help you achieve your goals.

Francis Tomlinson

Director

Francis Tomlinson is Head of the Lease Advisory Division at Aitchison Raffety, and manages the company’s Hitchin Office. Francis has over 40 years’ experience as a qualified Chartered Surveyor, and has been in practice in North Hertfordshire, based in Hitchin for the last 38 years, originally as a Partner in Chancellors, followed by two years as a Regional Director for Hogg Robinson Property Services, and 20 years as a Director of Tomlinson Quin Ltd, before the merger of that company with Aitchison Raffety in 2009.

The Hitchin Office has been involved with commercial property, including both agency and landlord and tenant matters throughout the last 38 years. Francis acts both for landlords and tenants in lease renewal negotiations and rent review disputes, and also acts for both as an Independent Expert and as an Arbitrator (having been on the Panel of The President of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors for over 25 years in each case). Francis acts for a wide range of clients including national and local property companies institutions and individuals, and multiple and sole traders, relative to shop, office, warehouse and industrial premises for the most part.

Harry Torrance

Area Director - London & South

Harry is the Area Director ‑ London & South at Aitchison Raffety, where he provides valuation, dispute resolution and lease advisory advice in England and Wales. His clients include lenders, accountants, private clients, charities, and limited companies including pension funds and SIPPS. He values property for a range of purposes including secured lending, financial reporting, compliance with the Charities Acts and tax reporting purposes, as well as for dispute resolution purposes. He focusses on residential development sites, country houses, premium houses, equestrian, rural enterprise premises including holiday lets and owner-occupied or investment commercial premises.

Building on his lengthy experience of dispute resolution and dispute avoidance practice, Harry qualified as an RICS Accredited Mediator and RICS Evaluative Mediator in spring 2022. Typically, 80% of disputes at mediation are resolved at far less cost and far sooner than other formal routes. On “without prejudice” terms, entirely confidential and non-binding until completion, mediation offers people their own way to resolve disputes and preserve important relationships. Harry mediates or represents clients at mediation.

Harry supports the expansion of Aitchison Raffety’s wider offerings of Lease Advisory, Building Surveying, Compulsory Purchase and Portfolio Management.

Qualifications: MRICS MCIArb, RICS Registered Valuer, RICS Accredited Mediator

   

Ian Archer

Director

Ian is a commercial surveyor and Director based at the St Albans office but with responsibility for overseeing the Hemel Hempstead and Watford areas. He joined the company in 1988 and has over 30 years’ experience in commercial property disposals and acquisitions.

Ian is mainly involved in commercial agency and Landlord & Tenant matters with a geographic range including Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring, Amersham, Chesham and surrounds. He is involved in sales, lettings and acquisitions of retail, office and industrial premises, and also involved in landlord and tenant matters such as rent reviews and lease renewals.

In addition, Ian has also provided advice on planning matters where commentary on the local market is required to assist planning applications.

 

Laurence Barton

Director

Laurence has over 30 years experience in the commercial property sector.  He set up his own property consultancy, Barton Rix, which was acquired by Aitchison Raffety in 2007.

As Head of Corporate Real Estate, Laurence advises major national and international companies on property matters ranging from simple lease negotiations to corporate relocations.  He also has expert knowledge in Landlord and Tenant dispute resolution matters with experience in arbitration and expert witness procedures.

 

Mark Bunting

Regional Director

Mark is Regional Director for Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas which is primarily a business development role building on a wide experience of property related work and in-depth knowledge of what Aitchison Raffety can bring to assist both existing and potential clients.

Previously, Mark has headed both the Commercial Agency and Lease Advisory Divisions at Aitchison Raffety as well as dealing with rating appeals, valuations and general property advice. Mark’s 30 years plus knowledge property started with a short spell in the VOA before moving to Hertfordshire in the mid 80s and opening the St Albans office of Aitchison Raffety in 1990.

His day to day work continues to include a variety of agency and professional work giving him one of the broadest spectrums of experience and expertise within our Group. This allows wide ranging advice to be given to clients, enabling potential problems within jobs to be identified and circumnavigated which may not be spotted by more specialised or less experienced advisors.

 

Paula Mace

Director, Head of Healthcare

Paula is a Director and Head of Healthcare at Aitchison Raffety, one of the Country’s leading experts on surgery premises and primary care medical centres.

Paula joined the company in 2003 and has nearly 20 years’ experience in the healthcare industry having worked with many surgeries, medical centres, healthcare investors and funds across the country during this time. Aitchison Raffety have a number of offices with a team of healthcare specialists located across the country with over forty years’ experience working with doctor’s surgeries.

Recognised for her knowledge of healthcare property and extensive experience in the healthcare industry and provides a range of services, specialising in valuations for a variety of purposes including secured lending, partnership, portfolio and court purposes for a range of clients from individual property owners and investors, to large portfolio holders with a considerable number of medical centres located nationwide. These services also include sale and leaseback, disposal and acquisition and development work.

Paula is also involved in a variety of Landlord and Tenant situations on a daily basis dealing with rent reviews and lease renewal negotiations, dispute resolution, CMR appeals, as well as pharmacy rent reviews and lease renewals. She also has significant experience as an Expert Witness in relation to rent review and lease renewal disputes including the PACT process.

As well as being a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Paula is instrumental in the management and running of the Healthcare Department. She also qualified as an Independent Expert in 2017 and is now a member of the RICS panel of Independent Experts.

Qualifications:  MRICS

 

Stephen Anderson

Director

Stephen has over 37 years’ experience in Rent Reviews and Lease Renewals and is actively involved in the valuation of commercial property advising vendors and purchasers. He established his own business in the early 90’s before merging with Huggins Edwards & Sharp in 2006. Subsequently, he was Head of Landlord & Tenant at a London based chartered surveyors.

An RICS APC Assessor, Stephen has acted as an RICS APC Counsellor and Supervisor for several years, developing graduates and more experienced surveyors in different aspects of the profession.