English Heritage accuses Smithfield opponent of "character assassination"

[JVS]

21 December, 2007
By Heidi Ancell
Quango's London director criticises questioning of public inquiry witness Eric Reynolds
English Heritage has accused developer Thornfield of attempting the “character assassination” of one of its key witnesses during the public inquiry into the redevelopment of Smithfield market.
Speaking at London’s Bankside House on Thursday, barrister David Forsdick, acting on behalf of Thornfield, questioned the competence of EH witness Eric Reynolds, director of Urban Space Management and a figure behind the regeneration of markets such as Camden Lock, Spitalfields and Greenwich.
But English Heritage London director Paddy Pugh later described the questioning as an “aggressive and abusive character assassination”.
English Heritage is bidding to block Thornfield’s bid to replace the General Market building with a KPF office development and has called witnesses including Reynolds and Terry Farrell to support its case.
Forsdick’s cross examination, which lasted from Wednesday until Friday, focused on why Reynolds - who produced a report on the viability of refurbishing and reusing the Smithfield market buildings – did not have professional valuation qualifications.
Forsdick also pointed to one of Reynold’s markets, at Swindon, which was “sold at a loss” earlier in the year and questioned why he had not followed the traditional RICS methodology for valuation.
“This is a major mixed use development and I am trying to establish exactly what it is you do in the markets that you are involved with and how that qualifies you to give valuation advise,” said Forsdick.
“Obviously you do not have expertise is terms of qualifications in carrying out valuations so what exactly is your experience on major mixed use developments?”
Reynolds pointed to his 34 years of experience in managing and operating markets as evidence of his competence and denied that he was asked to provide evidence as a professional valuation expert.
“I am not a witness for valuation but am here to help the Inspector understand whether the building can be reused in a sustainable way and I determine that it can,” he said.
Speaking afterwards, Pugh attacked the line of questioning and described the fight between English Heritage and Thornfield as a “David and Goliath battle.”
“It was an aggressive and abusive character assassination because they [the Thornfield team] had no other point to make,” he said. “Their criticism boiled down to the fact that he [Reynolds] is not a chartered surveyor and did not use the RICS method of valuation.
“Eric takes risks and uses a method based on whether he thinks a project can be made to work and his past experience shows he is very capable of making that judgement.”

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