Colin Bishop

MRICS, Quantity Surveyor

Colin qualified as a Chartered Quantity Surveyor having studied full time for 3 years at Leicester College of Art and Design for a Diploma in Surveying before joining Northampton Development Corporation. He spent the life of the Corporation, 15 years, as a QS taking care of the financial management of the provision of new rented housing, factory and retail units. For a period of 8 years at NDC he specialised in what, at the time, was known as Building Economics & Cost Planning.

Colin spent some time lecturing part time in Building Economics at Northampton College, and was employed in Local Government and Contracting between 1985 & 1989 before joining Deane and Amos Shopfitting Ltd as Senior Quantity Surveyor. 12 years were spent initially estimating & surveying before heading a team of surveyors involved in Fitting Out and Internal Contracting for clients such as Nationwide Building Society, BAA, and notable Fashion Houses such as Prada and Miu Miu, as well as high profile retailers Selfridges, Harrods, etc.

In 2002 Colin founded C G Bishop Associates and was employed initially by clients with whom he had made contact during the previous 12 years. As a result he specialises in fitting out, refurbishment, and Building and Condition Surveys.

Clare Pollard

MA Cantab, Communications Director

Clare Pollard received a MA in English Literature at King’s College, Cambridge and a MRES in Humanities and Cultural Studies at the London Consortium, run by the Tate, the ICA, Birbeck College and the Architectural Association.

A freelance writer, she has published three collections of poetry with Bloodaxe, the most recent of which, Look, Clare! Look! (2005), is a set-text on the WJEC A-level syllabus. She has toured widely with the British Council, including a residency in Beijing. Her first play The Weather (Faber, 2004) premiered at the Royal Court Theatre and has been performed at the Munchner Kammerspiele in Munich.

Clare was Assistant Director of the Clerkenwell Literary Festival from 2002-2005. She also works as a broadcaster, teacher and editor. Her documentary for radio, ‘My Male Muse (2007), was a Radio 4 Pick of the Year, and she is a Royal Literary Fund Literary Fellow at Essex University.

Previously managing Editor of The Idler, she has just co-edited an anthology for Bloodaxe with James Byrne, entitled Voice Recognition: 21 poets for the 21st Century. Her journalism has been widely published, including pieces in The Guardian, The Independent, The TES, the Channel 4 Film website, Critical Quarterly and Building Design.

Benedict Spry

BA (Hons), Architectural Assistant

Having graduated with first class honours from South Bank University, where he studied under Jaime and Richard as part of the Transpontine Laboratory studio, Benedict joined Fleet in 2015 and is currently studying for his MA (Arch) at the Royal College of Art.

Benedict has shown himself to be a capable project manager having worked on various projects with fleet ranging from private domestic projects to metal health units.

Successful Appeal Overturns Planning Decision

Fleet have successfully appealed and overturned a decision to refuse a residential planning permission in the Telegraph Hill conservation area in South-East London.

Although the scheme was not criticised by the conservation or local historic society the local planning authority had originally rejected the proposals based on concerns over enclosure and loss of outlook by occupants of neighbouring properties.

On the Client’s instruction Fleet undertook an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate resulting in the successful reversal of the original decision.  The design team provided additional evidence focussing on the principal issue of enclosure and outlook with the argument prepared assisting the inspectorate to decide in favour of the proposals.

Planning and Listed Building Approval for Five Dwellings

Fleet and client Neilson Projects were pleased to receive planning and listed buildings consent for the creation of 5 new dwellings, including 3 flats and 2 new mews cottages in Ramsgate, Kent.  Retail space is retained and refurbished at street level with a new contemporary loft apartment atop the existing building.

The process involved working closely with the local historical society, town council and district council conservation teams.

More on the project here.

Planning and Listed Building Consent for New Restaurant in Canterbury

Fleet have worked with the conservation team in Canterbury to agree change of use and significant remodelling to a former gentlemen’s outfitters historic central Canterbury.  The site sits only yards from the cathedral and has evidence of occupation dating to Roman times.

Learn more about the project here.