Celebrating 75 Years of People, Projects and Progress

This year marks a major milestone for us at Poole Dick, as we celebrate 75 years in business.

Numerologically, the number 75 is associated with ‘creative expression, high intelligence, and meaningful artistic endeavours’. It’s also seen as an ‘angel number’ that suggests bold steps towards success and embracing positive transformation. Modesty aside, we can certainly see the parallels with our own journey!

Founded in 1950 by two former army engineers, Jack Poole and Denis Dick, the company began as a firm of quantity surveyors responding to post-war housing demands. Since then, we’ve evolved into a modern construction consultancy, offering project management and cost consultancy services across the UK and beyond.

Management Team 2025

From Rebuilding Britain to Redefining Consultancy

From those early post-war years, we’ve weathered numerous industry cycles from booms to busts and emerged stronger each time, adapting to every new era. Our name has evolved with us, from Poole and Dick to Poole Dick and Partners, Poole Dick Associates, and now simply Poole Dick. Our base has shifted with the times too, and we are now proudly headquartered jointly at Waterfold Park, Bury and Keele University Science Park.

Reflection from Managing Director, Martin Brownsill

This year also marks my own 30th year on the board. I have always prided myself on the close relationships we form with our clients, helping them to make the best decisions they can when it comes to their construction projects. It is particularly gratifying to appreciate that such relationships — created and nurtured by successive generations of the Poole Dick team — have been the bedrock of our success over the last 75 years.

In that time, I’ve seen many economic cycles come and go, Government priorities change, procurement trends evolve, costs fluctuate, and new technologies thrive. I’ve also had the privilege of watching Poole Dick grow from a traditional Manchester-based quantity surveying practice into the national, multi-disciplined construction consultancy we are today.

Martin and Stephen, in the flush of youth coming to terms with the Architect’s drawings

Our long history of focusing our expertise and relationships on delivering the best outcomes for clients is something I am deeply proud of, and it continues to shape our values and behaviours today.

A Network Built on Relationships

Today, we serve a broad client base across both public and private sectors — covering residential, retail, education, commercial, healthcare, heritage, leisure, and consultancy. Whilst firmly rooted in the North West, we work across the UK, with projects stretching from London, Jersey, and the Isle of Wight, to the Scottish Highlands.

We’ve always invested in our clients, developing long-term strategic relationships built on trust, understanding, and partnership.

In the last five years, we’ve taken that commitment even further with our Client Listening Programme, which gives us in-depth conversations and analysis on how we can continue to improve our service and value to clients.

Reflection from Director, Stephen Lowndes

Sometimes, opportunities generated from strong client relationships can take a while to come around. I still remember getting a call during an Ashes Test back in 2015 — not exactly the moment you’d expect business to pop up! It was from a client we’d worked with years earlier, who had since moved on to Lidl. They reached out to Poole Dick because of the relationship we’d built and the quality of work we’d delivered before. That one phone call kicked off what’s now become a long-standing partnership with Lidl, and today, they’re one of our biggest clients.

People-Led, Purpose-Driven

People are the beating heart of Poole Dick. Currently, our board is led by three directors with a combined 115 years of service at the company. That long-term commitment is matched by forward-thinking development through the Poole Dick Academy, which provides technical and soft skills training, mentoring, and well-being support to shape the next generation of professionals.

Team Poole Dick – Go Ape!

Our commitment to our people was recognised in 2016 when we first achieved Investors in People accreditation, celebrating our ‘Poole Dick Way.’ This later led to us winning the NW Constructing Excellence Award for People Development, followed by the National Award.

Addressing the Sector’s Future

Over the years, we’ve earned a reputation for driving thought leadership and continuous learning. Our Knowledge Share Programme, where we externalise our Professional Development and CPD topics, has been widely welcomed by our clients.

Poole Dick Question Time - Survive and Thrive Event

Question Time – Survive and Thrive Breakfast Briefing March 2025

Equally, our Annual Breakfast events are well-attended, focusing on the critical issues facing our industry. Most recently, our Question Time event in March brought together a panel of experts from Arup, Laing O’Rourke, Maple Grove Developments, Saffer Cooper, and the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. Together, we debated the challenges and opportunities facing the property and construction sector if it is to not only survive, but thrive. Read about the event and discussions in more detail here: https://pooledick.co.uk/insights/question-time-survive-and-thrive-a-construction-industry-call-to-action/

Reflection from Director, Andrew Bayley

As I look back on my 37 years with Poole Dick, I am grateful for the professional relationships, trust, and shared achievements that have shaped my career. From preparing bills of quantities early on, to navigating today’s challenges of the Building Safety Act and net zero, I’ve seen how traditional skills remain vital to a changing industry. Poole Dick’s resilience through recessions, a pandemic, and shifting demands, comes down to our people, our culture, and our commitment to quality. I’m confident these strengths will carry us forward in the years ahead.

Looking Ahead

As we celebrate 75 years, we do so not simply by looking back, but by building forward — nurturing our people, strengthening our partnerships with clients, innovating our services, and continuing to deliver real value across the built environment.

We look forward to the next 75 years not only with belief in the industry’s ability to meet tomorrow’s challenges, but with confidence in Poole Dick’s ability to play a leading role in the opportunities that change will inevitably bring.

Our Expert Services

We offer a comprehensive range of services tailored to meet the evolving needs of our clients:

Project Management — Full delivery support across all project stages: from brief development, stakeholder management, and procurement, to risk oversight, design team coordination, contract administration, and final completion.

Employer’s Agent — Acting on behalf of employers in Design and Build contracts, preparing employer requirements, reviewing contractor proposals, cost planning, procurement advice, contract administration, and handover coordination.

Cost Management — Delivering value throughout the project lifecycle via early estimating, development appraisals, cost planning, whole-life costing, zero-carbon assessments, tender preparation, valuations, financial reporting, and dispute resolution.

Project Monitoring — Oversight for lending institutions, safeguarding investments through strategy guidance, technical due diligence, risk reviews, quality control, and programme monitoring.

Building Consultancy — Support through project due diligence, pre-acquisition surveys, utilities and strategic planning, maintenance optimisation, condition surveys, party-wall advice, and clerk-of-works services.

CDM Principal Designer — Ensuring health and safety compliance throughout design and construction: design advice, liaison with HSE, safety inspections, and coordination of safety documentation.

Retrofit Consultancy — PAS 2035-compliant retrofit services, including data collection, risk and whole-dwelling assessments, improvement evaluations, medium-term planning, team management, commissioning, and evaluation.

Risk Management and Mitigation – Comprehensive risk assessments, robust mitigation planning, continuous monitoring, effective communication, and contingency planning.

Project/Site Due Diligence – Identifying site constraints and restrictions to development prior to acquisition; providing cost estimates for the same. E.g., obtaining asset plans, liaising with utilities providers, arranging GPR surveys and/or slit trenches to physically identify assets; arranging topographical surveys, site investigations; assessing site levels/cut and fill; managing highways/drainage engineer’s design

Utilities Management – Management of utilities connections, disconnections, diversions etc; liaison with utility asset companies; de-risking utilities for developers and contractors.

Planned Maintenance – Delivery of maintenance strategies aligned with the client’s overall objectives, collection and analysis of data, prioritisation, procurement compliance, value for money sign-off, asset tracking and management of internal resources and third-party suppliers.

Expert Witness – Objective, independent opinion on technical cost-related matters to a court or tribunal. Detailed analysis of costs, contracts, and works completed on site. RICS chartered staff.

Construction Management – Planning and Coordination of works; liaising with site delivery team, setting benchmarks, agreeing budgets, and monitoring project progress to ensure timely and cost-effective completion, maintaining regular communication with clients, designers, and other stakeholders, providing progress updates, and managing expectations.

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Celebrating 75 Years of People, Projects and Progress

Celebrating 75 Years of People, Projects and Progress

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