Jim Hatfield FRICSqualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1978 and has been in private practice since 1979. An expert on buildings, Jim has a comprehensive knowledge of building structures, history and conservation and enjoys the challenge of investigating and resolving problems.

Dedicated to the profession, Jim is an Accredited Trainer for the RICS and has trained many Surveyors, confident that they have been well versed in their chosen profession.

Jim takes an active interest in conservation and local business – he is on the committee of Lewes Buildings Preservation Trust and Locate East Sussex. His enthusiasm carries through to his professional lectures and his hobbies – in his spare time he gives talks on naval and historical subjects and runs a steam lorry on rare days off.

David Witcombe MRICS joined J J Hatfield & Co Ltd in 2001 and is an Associate Director.

He particularly enjoys architectural work, designing anything from simple extensions to business units from chicken sheds – an extension to provide a music room in a Lewes Georgian house won the Sussex Heritage Trust Small Scale Residential Award and another project will be entered this year.

In his spare time David enjoys travelling, fishing and taking trips in his boat. His quiet, thorough approach belies a definitely adventurous nature. His travels have taken him to many countries including Uganda, The Congo, Australia, Thailand and Brazil and he never flinches from new challenges – whether eating insect delicacies in Thailand or unravelling tricky planning problems.

Cath Prenton ran her own interior design and property companies prior to joining J J Hatfield & Co Ltd in 2008 to complete a Building Survey degree at Brighton University.

With a strong design background and artistic flare, Cath brings vision and drive to the team.

In her spare time she makes use of her Art & Design degree to design and build sets for Brighton Theatre Group's biannual musical theatre shows.