WHO WE ARE
Narrow focus, deep experience, broad knowledge.
Our love of town centres, concerns for failing ones and belief that economic and community solutions lie within them, has led us to set up this narrowly focused consultancy.
TownCentred was founded by George Grace – a former partner at King Sturge and director of Jones Lang La Salle, with over over 30 years experience in retail, real estate and consulting.
Summary Experience
Strategy and innovation – at retail consultants 20/20
Retail entrepreneur – operations and development director of Fresh and Wild (a pioneering community food market)
Real Estate consultant - ie Chartered Surveyor, working across all property sectors.
Entailing the creation of genuinely ground breaking partnerships in the UK:
A 'pilot' BIDs (Business Improvement Distict) in Paddington upon introduction of the legislation in 2003
UK's first Town Team in Bedminster (winning a competition from 400 other towns)
LABVs (local asset backed vehicles), trading as the Bournemouth Development Company
Tax Increment Finance study at Ravenscraig which has led to its approval by the Scottish parliament
Summary Qualifications
Chartered Surveyor (and BSc in Urban Estate Management)
Retail MBA at the Institute of Retail Studies (University of Stirling)
Economic development (the Institute of Economic Development)
In addition a role on two national advisory boards:
WalkEngland (a social enterprise dedicated to encouraging people to walk – www.WalkEngland.org.uk).