Coronavirus

A message from Justin Burns, Managing Director of Peter Barry Surveyors:

Tuesday 24th March 2020

The Government has now taken the unprecedented step to limit people’s movements to:

• leaving home only to exercise once a day,
• travel to and from work where “absolutely necessary”,
• shop for essential items and to fulfil any medical or care needs.

Many forms of work can still proceed remotely and we will be outlining this in the coming days.

Guidance on Party Wall can be found here.

Guidance on Lease Extensions can be found here.

Friday 20th March 2020

Since implementing our Risk Management Plan for all jobs we are pleased to report the incredible response from our clients.

You as well as us are being accomodating,  practical and inventive which has seen work on 90% of jobs continue without a hitch.

Some have been pushed back on account of caution but that is further validation that our procedures are working and that you and we are staying safe.

We are happy to confirm that we have plans, capacity, and technology to keep working throughout this challenging and difficult time.

Monday 16th March 2020

The safety and well-being of our customers and colleagues is always our number one priority – and never more so than now, during the Coronavirus outbreak. For now, it’s business as usual for our offices and teams, with additional hygiene measures in place, as recommended by WHO and the UK government.

We are making some practical changes in order to protect the wellbeing of our customers and our colleagues. These include:

• Increased personal hygiene measures to include hand washing and carrying hand sanitiser
• Daily cleaning of offices
• Preference for home working
• Limiting use of public transport

We have contingency plans in place configuring IT and telephone systems should the guidance recommend working remotely, so you will still be able to get hold of us during our usual office hours. We are monitoring the fast-moving situation closely. We will ensure that we respond quickly, sensibly, and appropriately to any developments.

We are very aware that our business involves visiting peoples’ homes and working face to face. We are adopting a proactive approach to this and will work with you to address any concerns you may have.

Every job that we are instructed on will include a Risk Management Plan in which we’ll put in place measures to minimise the risk to you and those around you. Examples of this include:

• Offering desktop options as opposed to site visits
• Completing more tasks relating to a job remotely, allowing the inspection to take place at a later date
• Increased social distancing in instances where visiting is unavoidable
• Sending electronic reports where possible as opposed to hard copies by post

We would also request that you keep us informed of any personal circumstances so as to limit at risk contacts.

I will update you all again if we have further substantial updates, but please do contact us if you have any concerns about your specific circumstances.

I would like to thank you for your understanding, patience and for your cooperation as we work together during this difficult time.

Justin Burns BSc (Hons) MRICS FFPWS