LCP appoints UK head of retail

Ben Chislett joins the Kingswinford-based company from Savills, where he was retail director for nine years, advising both retailers and landlords on their acquisition and disposal strategies.

As a specialist in national retail agency, Ben, who was also previously a director at CBRE, will oversee and manage the retail arm of all four LCP offices in the UK, which are located in London, Bristol, Glasgow and its headquarters on Pensnett Trading Estate.

The newly created appointment comes after LCP invested more than £270 million in retail assets, from local convenience parades to regional centres, in 2021.

Among the key acquisitions from last year were: Woolshops, Halifax; Waterbourne Walk, Leighton Buzzard; Parkway, Colby Newham; Lime Square Openshaw; Eden Square, Manchester; and Aviemore and Myrtlefield, which was its largest acquisition in Scotland to date.

James Buchanan, managing director, said: “As we increasingly focus on retail acquisitions, this is an important, key senior appointment. Ben’s highly strategic approach in the retail sector, not to mention his first-class knowledge and connections, will ensure LCP will be known as one of the leading investors in retail assets in the country.

“We are pleased to have brought Ben over to LCP for this exciting chapter in the business’s history. We have exciting plans ahead, with £300 million available to invest a year in retail assets, and Ben will undoubtedly play a key role as we forge ahead with our acquisitions over the coming years.”

Mr Chislett added: “With so many property companies moving away from retail, it’s fantastic that LCP shares my vision and sees an exciting long term future for retail assets in the UK.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the UK’s biggest and best retailer and landlord clients over the years and will be using the experience and skills that I have gained to successfully asset manage and grow the LCP retail portfolio.”