NABMA chief executive Graham Wilson has held out something of an olive branch to the consultants who broke away from their existing partnership with the association earlier this month.

He told members at NABMA’s annual meeting in Blackpool last week that the situation had “saddened” him.

Wilson said: “We have enjoyed an excellent working relationship for a number of years and there is no reason why this should not continue. We are very keen to resolve the situation and the incoming president, David Farmer, would like to offer a meeting so that we can sort this out sooner rather than later.”

The Association of Professional Market Consultants (APMC) was formed two weeks ago after a group of four consultants broke away from NABMA, believing it had ceased to support their work.

NABMA has referred market authorities to the four consultants - Marketplace Europe Ltd, Michael Felton Associates, New Markets Solutions and Quarterbridge Project Management Ltd - for a number of years but relationships broke down after the formation of NABMA’s own in-house consultancy, NABMA Consultancy Services, nine months ago.

Following this, NABMA offered the companies now in the APMC a deal in which there would still be opportunity to tender for any work emanating from NABMA members, but could not be given “approved” status as that would involve a system of monitoring, it said.

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