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History of the PPA
David M Nesbit JP, FRICS FCIArb – PPA Chairman 1973
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The Portsmouth Property Association has probably had more influence on the development of the City of Portsmouth than any other local organisation.
Following the rapid growth of Victorian England, estate agency developed from the legal profession due to the demand for surveyors and agents to handle the sale and valuation of land and property for railway and industrial expansion.
Several firms had been active for many years. The oldest firm was King & King founded in 1799. Among firms established in Victorian times were Austin & Wyatt (1836); Hall Pain & Goldsmith (1850); J S Howell & Co (1876), and Hutchings Penney & Clark.
The national importance of Portsmouth over the centuries as a location and naval base is well known. In 1900, the Dockyard was the largest industrial complex in the world.
Formed in 1920 by partners of established firms as “The Portsmouth, Gosport and District Auctioneers, Estate Agents and Valuers Association”; membership was restricted to partners to uphold standards of the leading property professional bodies.
The 1920s were challenging times following the First World War and the Depression. Member firms, however, provided a wide range of general practice services for the public.
In 1927, Hall Pain & Foster, acting for Portsmouth Corporation, undertook specialist rating assessments for the piers, docks and shipbuilding yards in the City.
Portsmouth is the only island city in the UK, and with continuing development the boundaries were extended to the mainland. The City has the doubtful privilege of being the most densely populated in the country.
Important matters handled by members over recent decades have included,
• War damage claims – Wilfred Hutchings, Douglas Nesbit
• The extensive Compulsory Purchase in the 1960s – William Foster. Neville Freeston, Tom Hurrell
• Reclamation and development of North Harbour and the IBM headquarters
• The development of flats
• Industrial and commercial developments close to the M27 motorway – John Bannell, John Vail, Jeremy Young. In 1973, the Association’s name was shortened to “The Portsmouth District Estate Agents’ Association”.
In 1977, the Association widened its membership to include senior and qualified staff.
In 2002, the Association refocused as “The Portsmouth Property Association” and membership was extended to include those providing property related services.
One member, Eric Bateson, was Lord Mayor of Portsmouth in 1962. Several Chairmen had appointments as magistrates; or members of the Residential Property Tribunal – John Hutchings.
A feature of the list of past Chairmen is that eight sons and one daughter have followed their respective fathers as chairmen;
Jack & John Bannell
Eric & Peter Bateson
Percy & Roger Collett
John & Neville Freeston
Graham & Louisa Fairhall
Wilfred & John Hutchings
Douglas & David Nesbit
Neil & John Shaw
Lionel & John Vail.
Property professionals were controlled by Codes of Conduct and charges were subject to approved professional scales.
The Association adopted the national charges. It is interesting to note in 1951, the charge for a sale of property at £5,000 was £132.50!
Whilst all members were in competition, membership of the Association developed with colleagues and likeminded professionals acknowledging experience and specialist skills. Several smaller firms merged to provide a wider range of services.
For many years the Association collated auction results. The Estate Exchange information was circulated to members and was very useful for valuation purposes. Despite the ready availability today of a wealth of property data, the historic data still has a use.
Political pressure forced the abandonment of professional scales of charges and firms had to adapt to commercial reality. Major companies saw the opportunity to invest in estate agency and several local firms were acquired, and familiar and long standing names were lost. Leading firms acquired were Hall Pain & Foster, Whiteheads, Field Palmer Freeston, Young & White and Austin & Wyatt. The corporate firms chose to operate outside of the Association.
Numerous members have actively supported a wide range of organisations throughout the City. Notably, Dennis Collett was a former chairman of Portsmouth Football Club. John Bannell is a successful author of children’s books.
The Association has held Annual Dinners for many years, from the 1970s. By permission of the Lord Mayor, the function was held in the Lord Mayor’s Banqueting Room in the Guildhall. by the Portsmouth branches of the Institute of Bankers, Building Society Association and Insurance Institute.
Regrettably those functions ceased. The Portsmouth Property Association is proud that their Annual Dinners flourish.
The role of Honorary Secretary is key to the success of any organisation. Whilst original records are no longer available, past Secretaries covering some 70 years have included - Douglas Nesbit; Geoffrey Tidy; Colin Wilton-Smith; Graham Fairhall and Neil Hawkins.
The Association enjoys friendly competition with other professional bodies with regular golf and cricket events.
For many years, other professional bodies held Dinners to which the Chairmen of the Association were invited. The events were organised
In recent years, in association with Portsmouth City Council, the annual property conference has become an important opportunity for updates on a wide range of property issues.
Reflecting on the passage of 100 years, one of the greatest changes is in communication. Mobile phones, computers and electronics have transformed business, a world away from typewriters, ink duplicators and measuring tapes.
Property remains the principal asset for everyone, whether our homes, office or factory. It is the very basis of the UK economy and closely monitored by financial institutions.
Members of the Portsmouth Property Association continue to be actively involved for the future of the City and its residents.
Addendum
Robert Marchant
After David Nesbit had completed his History of the PPA, reproduced on the previous pages, we received from PPA past Chairman and Secretary, Graham Fairhall, a wonderful insight into the past workings and indeed the past members of the Association.
Graham unearthed a beautiful leatherbound minute book, in the nick of time for inclusion in this publication. It opens with the minutes of the Annual General Meeting, held at the Nuffield Club, Portsmouth on Thursday 3rd February 1966. The minutes were recorded by hand by the then secretary, Mr G A Tidy. If ever a name were apt then it is his. Geoffrey Tidy, a long-time Secretary of the Association, had the most exquisite handwriting, ideally suited to such a task!
David Nesbit reports that Geoffrey Tidy was a Chartered Auctioneer & Estate Agent, who had an office in Grove Road South, where he was the sole principal. Mr Tidy was Secretary of the Association for 25 years from 1948-1973, having taken on the role from David’s father, Douglas, who had been Secretary himself for over ten years from before WWII. Geoffrey Tidy, described by David as “a tall, kindly gentleman” went a little deaf towards the end of his tenure as
Secretary and was told on occasion, in jest, to tune into the (then new!) Radio 1. On his retirement, Mr Tidy’s business was acquired by Field Palmer.
Geoffrey Tidy and our current Secretry, Neil Hawkins, have between them clocked up 53 years of service, over half the life of the Association. We have indeed been very fortunate.
Present at that AGM in 1966 was a gentleman who is present at our Centenary celebrations in 2020, one Mike Swinburne. While also in attendance was the previously mentioned Douglas Nesbit and Jack Bannell, the father of another latterday Chairman, John. Additionally, an apology is recorded for John Fairhall, the predecessor of two later PPA Chairmen, his son, Graham, and granddaughter, Louisa.
Set out below are some details of the AGMs, committee and open membership meetings that followed, and which are recorded in the minute book. They provide an insight into the matters on the minds of members and of course the profession more widely.
In this era, there is no doubt that the Association was a powerful professional group, and this is borne out by the minutes of that 1966 AGM.
The chairman reported that committee members had had meetings with “the four members of parliament representing the area covered by the association, which were a great success and enabled the representatives of the association to bring forward Parliamentary matters including the Estate Agents Bill”.
More mundane matters covered included the amalgamation of the general and social bank accounts, arrangements for the Autumn Supper dance and the annual luncheon, to be held at the Nuffield Club on 15th December. An honorarium of £8.8/s was paid to the Secretary’s staff, the equivalent of £157.50 in 2020 and a donation of £5.5/s, £98.45 in today’s money, was made to the Cervical Cancer Appeal.
The committee meeting of 21st July 1966 reported that all the “good work” done with the MPs as reported at the AGM had been wasted as at the general election there had been changes and Portsmouth now had two new MPs.
