COMMERCIAL property experts Harris Lamb, which has three branches across the West Midlands, has taken over Worcester-based planning specialists Malcolm Scott Consultants as part of its expansion programme.

Malcolm Scott will continue to operate under its own name because of its history and reputation, but will become part of Harris Lamb and relocate from its existing Loves Grove office to the Harris Lamb site in St Mary’s Street, Worcester.

Patrick Downes, head of Harris Lamb’s planning dept, said: “A respected national business, Malcolm Scott Consultants has been established for more than 30 years and is a well known name thanks to its nationwide and international projects. We recognised a synergy between both businesses in light of our national client-based and regional locations, and have been working together to bring MSC under the Harris Lamb umbrella in order to strengthen our service offering.

Harris Lamb was formed in 1992 and has grown to a business employing more than 50 people across its three sites. It launched a retail division in 2014 and a residential division earlier this year. This acquisition follows its announcement at the beginning of 2016 that further to recording its most successful year on record, the business planned to expand and increase its workforce by at least 15 per cent.

Mr Downes added: “The business is particularly well respected for its extensive experience of consulting on the design and development projects throughout the world and preparing feasibility studies for new builds or extensions, which will be a huge asset to our own services, and allows us to extend our own planning department’s offering.

Malcolm Scott, who will continue to work with the business on a consultancy level, added: “Joining Harris Lamb will enable us to continue to offer our unique individual advice and planning professionalism to clients but add further expertise and services courtesy of the extensive service offering that the business provides. I look forward to the future with great enthusiasm."