Savills take responsibility for The Ironbridge Gorge Trust's property portfolio

Savills have been instructed to manage the portfolio of The Ironbridge Gorge Museum's Trust, an organisation which runs 10 museums and multiple historic sites in-and-around Shropshire.

The real estate management team will be responsible for the day-to-day repair, maintenance and management of the Trust owned property portfolio situated in the Unesco World Heritage Site in Shropshire.

Fred Williams, associate surveyor in the Savills Telford team who has taken on the role of portfolio manager for the Trust, said: “The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust has a large and varied property portfolio and this property management role was previously carried out in-house.

"We look forward to utilising our expertise in order to find ways of further improving the tenant experience and to remove the administrative burden on the Trust.

"It is hoped that by doing so, it will allow them to focus on further enhancing the visitor experience at a time when so many people want to get out and enjoy what the UK has to offer."

The news comes as Katie Benbow – a qualified chartered surveyor and fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers – will join the estate management team as associate director.

Katie grew up on a farm on the Shropshire-Staffordshire border and has returned to her roots in the county after gaining 12 years’ experience in a similar role in the Savills Oxford office.

The team of 30 at Savills Telford provide residential and rural services across the West Midlands and have recently seen Tim Williams, a senior arboriculturalist and Richard Plowden and Amie Beacock as graduate surveyors, join the team.

Kirsty Vlemmiks, finance director at The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said: "We are delighted to be working with Savills in the management of our property portfolio.

"Our properties are incredibly varied and include 35 listed buildings and their careful management is a crucial part of our operation.”

Rhydian Scurlock-Jones, director and head of rural at Savills in the West Midlands, said: “We have a strong presence across the West Midlands, and Katie, Tim, Richard and Amie have joined us at an exciting time in the team’s evolution as we continue to grow our services.”

The Gorge includes a number of museums and heritage assets which are located in Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale, Coalport and Jackfield along the River Severn.