A NORTH-EAST leading firm of chartered surveyors, land agents and estate agency has fulfilled its plan and moved to purpose-built premises in Darlington Auction Mart’s multi-million pound Humbleton Park site, situated on the A68.

Vickers & Barrass is the first business to open its doors at the state-of-the-art auction mart and business centre.

The investment by the firm has seen the relocation of its Crook estate agency operation to Darlington and the consolidation of its current seven-strong team of sales negotiators, chartered surveyors and support staff from across the region.

The expansion signals a greater provision of professional services to residential, land and commercial clients from the firm. The strengthened business operation comes with additional specialist Alan Falshaw, who recently joined the team, and offers a dedicated farm business consultant service ideally placed to assist with the changing Common Agricultural Policy and the various schemes that are available to farmers each year, as well as ensuring compliance, for example, with nitrate vulnerable zones and cross compliance.

Adam Barrass, the company’s managing director and rural chartered surveyor, says that the expansion programme is a key investment for the firm, despite the backdrop of the global pandemic and economic uncertainty post-Brexit.

He said: “We are a local firm, employing local people and we’re delighted to be opening our doors in the new DFAM site. Our expansion programme will serve us well as we continue to grow our regional footprint of our estate agency services across the county.”

“The mart is the hub of the North-East farming community and being the first to open our doors on-site has been a superb achievement in these times.

The firm’s existing Tow Low office has also seen investment during lockdown. It's been extended, doubling office capacity and continues to offer its services to the wider region.