Morgan & Clarke – A Final Update

After many years advising clients in the licensed and leisure property industry, Morgan & Clarke Chartered Surveyors will soon take a final bow and permanently leave the stage.

It is therefore an appropriate time to contact our very many clients, contacts and newsletter subscribers to explain the position, with a heartfelt thank you, and to reflect briefly on the firm’s long history.

The roots of Morgan & Clarke stretch back almost half a century. David Morgan first became involved in licensed property in 1975 as Divisional Estates Manager for Courage (Western) Limited, covering South West England and South and West Wales. After a period as a partner at Stanley Alder & Price, where he headed the licensed property department, he established DMP Chartered Surveyors in 1985 as a specialist licensed property consultancy primarily advising smaller Brewery Companies and tenants/lessees. At its zenith there were seven offices nationwide stretching from Newcastle to Truro and Cardiff to London. 

DMP later merged with Cookseys Chartered Surveyors of Reading in 2005, trading as Cookseys DMP until 2011. Following the retirement of Cookseys DMP Chairman Vincent Rex, Morgan & Clarke was established in September 2011 as a continuation of that specialist licensed and leisure property practice, with David Morgan and Simon Clarke at its core and a continuing wide regional and national presence. 

Throughout that period, David’s work has covered virtually every aspect of licensed and leisure property, including rent reviews, lease renewals, capital and rental valuation, arbitration and independent expert referrals, expert witness work, viability and planning matters, dilapidations and professional negligence disputes. He has appeared as an expert in the High Court, Lands Tribunal, County Courts, Magistrates Courts and at Planning Appeals, as well as acting in numerous arbitration and independent expert proceedings. 

His involvement in the trade has also extended well beyond conventional surveying practice. He has served as Chairman of the Restaurant Property Advisors Society, has been closely involved with the British Institute of Innkeeping, the Academy of Experts and the Expert Witness Institute, and has contributed to RICS guidance concerning the valuation of public houses and leisure property. Over the years he has also contributed to trade and national press, television and Parliamentary discussion concerning the licensed trade. 

Importantly, that professional experience has always been underpinned by practical involvement in the operation of licensed premises. David has owned, operated and assisted in the management of pubs, restaurants, bars and hotels at various points throughout his career.This has given him a first-hand understanding of the businesses behind the property valuations and rent assessments. Even in his late 70s David still owns and runs (part time) a freehouse in West Dorset. Simon Clarke has similarly combined professional expertise with unparallelled practical involvement in the licensed trade. 

The hospitality industry has changed out of all recognition in the last 50 years some for the better and some for the worse. One of the biggest game changers was the creation by Parliament of the Pubs Code. Both David and Simon were directly involved through Fair Pint (a lobbying group) in steering the legislation through Parliament championed by Greg Mulholland MP, although it took nearly ten years.

Particular satisfaction has been gained over the years in saving community/village pubs initially deemed ‘non viable’ by their then residential development owners. Nearly all of David’s successful cases resulted in restructuring a core community asset which has been deeply rewarding. Their continuing success makes it all worthwhile. 

Over the years the firm itself has evolved, as has the licensed trade, but the underlying approach has remained much the same: honest ‘no frills’ specialist, independent advice grounded in practical knowledge of pubs, licensed businesses and the people who operate them. 

From all of us at Morgan & Clarke, we would like to thank the many clients, professional contacts, operators, valuers, solicitors and others within the trade who have worked with us over the years. Many of those relationships have lasted for decades and have extended well beyond individual instructions. 

Although Morgan & Clarke will no longer be accepting new instructions, the experience and relationships built through the firm will not disappear altogether. 

Charlie Wright will be continuing his career in valuation and lease advisory with a new firm on the South Coast, Flude Property Consultants, where he will remain involved in rent reviews, lease renewals, valuations and related landlord and tenant work. Further contact details can be provided to those wishing to remain in touch. 

Chris Wright will also remain active within the licensed trade through Pubs Advisory Service / RH&L, including in relation to business rates and associated advisory work. 

The Morgan & Clarke website will remain available for the foreseeable future, together with a contact facility for anyone wishing to make contact regarding previous matters or to be directed to an appropriate adviser. 

This will also be our final Morgan & Clarke newsletter. 

Thank you again for your support, instructions, referrals and friendship over the years. It has been treasured and greatly appreciated. 

David Morgan, Simon Clarke, Charlie Wright and the Morgan & Clarke team