Our Team

Brett Devenish

Director

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Key Skills

  • Town Planning
  • Regeneration & development
  • Sustainability

Brett is a Chartered Surveyor and RICS Registered Valuer with over 17 years of national experience in property regeneration, management, and valuation. He holds a Master’s degree in Real Estate Management from Northumbria University and an undergraduate degree in Geography with Computer Science.

Since joining AspinallVerdi in 2021 to establish the Newcastle office, Brett has successfully grown the team and built a strong presence across the North East property market. He has delivered a wide range of projects for local authorities, public sector organisations such as Homes England, registered providers, developers, and private clients. He has also led assignments elsewhere across the UK.

Brett has extensive experience in strategic viability, having undertaken Local Plan Viability studies for authorities including North Tyneside, Lancashire, and Cambridge. He regularly delivers site-specific viability assessments and has provided commercial and viability advice on a number of high-profile masterplans and regeneration frameworks. These include the Stockton Blueprint, Gateshead Future Place II, North Shields, and Blyth. He also supported the successful Levelling Up Fund bid for Ashington and has collaborated with economists on demand studies for Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, and Darlington.

His valuation expertise spans a broad range of purposes including acquisitions and disposals, grant funding and subsidy control, financial reporting, and rent setting.

Throughout his career, Brett has worked in both the public and private sectors, advising a diverse client base on development, viability, valuation, and regeneration matters. Prior to joining AspinallVerdi, he led the property team at Capita as part of its partnership with North Tyneside Council. In that role, he was responsible for a wide array of property-related matters including masterplanning, regeneration, viability, acquisitions, disposals, funding bids, asset management, and landlord & tenant work—while also ensuring the delivery of key partnership performance indicators.

Brett is currently the Vice-Chair of the 1947 Club, a professional networking group for surveyors in Newcastle; and also serves as a school governor, chairing the Health and Safety Sub-Committee.

Outside of work, Brett is a Newcastle United season ticket holder, enjoys live music, and spending quality time with his young children.

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Our Clients

We advise a wide range of clients including:

Private Developers & House-builders Landowners Local Authorities Combined Authorities Homes England & Registered Providers

On behalf of Amber Valley, I would like to express grateful thanks to you all, for your hard work and expertise throughout the process and ensuring that we compiled a robust application, providing us with the best possible business case to secure funding for the town.

You have all been very professional and worked with our sometimes challenging set of Consultees and not least myself to provide a timely service and keep the project moving. I know that the changes to the extended project timeline and supplementary requirement to respond to the Covid situation has been protracted and I appreciate you sticking with us and maintaining your service and good humour throughout. Please pass on my thanks to your teams.

Joanne Bamford

Growth & Town Centres Manager  Amber Valley

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council has employed the services of Aspinall Verdi, as lead contractor on two significant contracts that will form part of this evidence base. Specifically, these were a detailed housing market review of Birkenhead and a Whole Plan Viability Review.

All of this work has been to a very high standard, with excellent quality work. I have found the company to be excellent in the execution of all aspects of their contracts.
Aspinall Verdi provided us with information and advice that was at an appropriate level of detail to not only meet the requirement of a planning inquiry, but was also commercially realistic.

I have no hesitation in commending Aspinall Verdi as an Outstanding Small Practice of Chartered Surveyors.

Keith Keeley

Head of Regeneration Strategy  Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

Aspinall Verdi has provided for us a range of property market, viability and delivery related advice on a succession of our development projects. All this work has been to a very high standard, carefully considered with excellent quality work.

I have found the company to be excellent and exceptionally diligent in the execution of all aspects of their work with us. The Aspinall Verdi staff, with whom I have worked, are extremely thorough, diligent and professional and have tailored their work to the needs of ourselves the client.

The advice provided is also mindful of the evolving sustainability agenda and the social impact of planning and regeneration policy. I have no hesitation in commending Aspinall Verdi as an Outstanding Planning and Development Consultancy.

Mark Kitts

Managing Director  Tawd Valley Developments

Tamworth Borough Council have employed the services of Aspinall Verdi, as lead contractor on two significant contracts over the past 3 years. Specifically these were a viability focused Masterplan on a large Town Centre regeneration site and the completion of a HM Treasury Green Book Compliant business case, for the Future High Street Streets Fund.

In my experience and that of my team I have found Aspinall Verdi to be excellent in the execution of all aspects of their contracts. The output delivered in both of our specific cases was carried out to the highest standard and quality. Aspinall Verdi also provided us with information and advice that was relevant, realistic and commercial and both contracts focused on what was actually deliverable and achievable under the market conditions.

Matt Fletcher

Head of Economic Development and Regeneration  Tamworth Borough Council

Working with Aspinall Verdi provided a good service and high quality technical data. Written material from Aspinall Verdi was good, with a number of addendums of the main assessment required to satisfy the Council as client and the local plan examination inspector in short time.

The Craven Local Plan was adopted in November 2019 and Aspinall Verdi has recently assisted the Council by providing important text on viability and procedures for the consultation draft supplementary planning document on affordable housing. I also oversaw this work.

In conclusion, I have no hesitation in recommending Aspinall Verdi, as a reliable, conscientious and ‘fit for purpose’ consultancy to provide a very good product on local plan viability assessment and related matters.

David Sykes

Planning Officer  Craven District Council

Working with Aspinall Verdi has been a transformative experience. Their true expertise in site development management coupled with a deep understanding of the local market, made a significant difference in our project. From the initial consultation, then acting as site agent all through to the final execution, their attention to detail, innovative solutions and collaborative support were evident in every step of the way.

They not only helped us maximise the potential of our site but also ensured that the project aligned with our vision. We would highly recommend Aspinall Verdi to anyone seeking a sound professional approach, stakeholder engagement and timely delivery from start to finish on any property planning or development type.

James Bolton

Langho Resale 

AspinallVerdi played a pivotal role in this commission, providing a Red Book valuation for our purpose-built schemes, which comprise a mix of cluster rooms with shared communal facilities and self-contained units of varying sizes. Their analysis considered the legal position of each scheme and assessed the impact of various investment scenarios on asset values. In addition, detailed marketing advice was provided, enabling us to make informed decisions that align with our strategic objectives.

AspinallVerdi showed professionalism, the ability to work collaboratively, and delivered to a high standard. The team was approachable, thorough, and highly knowledgeable throughout the process.

I would not hesitate to use AspinallVerdi services again or recommend them for any Red Book valuation, particularly those involving Strategic Asset Management Support.

Claire Ruff

Portfolio Analyst  Clarion Housing