Peter Bennett is to step down as the City surveyor, the historic role that dates back to the Middle Ages.
No departure date has yet been confirmed for Bennett, who will be “flexibly retiring” in the next year. However the search for a successor is expected to start in the next few months.
Bennett has been in the role – which dates back to 1478 – since the start of 2008 when he took over from long-serving predecessor Ted Hartill.
Prior to that he had been the deputy City surveyor since 1990.
The job, which includes managing and co-ordinating all activity relating to commercial property owned by the City of London Corporation, has been held by fewer than 40 people in the 537 years since it was created.
It includes managing an investment portfolio of central London property valued in excess of £2.5bn and spanning more than 16m sq ft, with about 3m sq ft of development held either directly or in partnership, and a further 1.5m sq ft of development opportunities.
The City’s operational property assets total more than £5bn across 623 properties, accounting for 6.2m sq ft.
As well as running a 250-strong department, Bennett also leads the City property advisory team.
