Putting St Albans ‘City of Expertise’ on the map for professional services

Debenhams Ottaway, along with other lawyers, accountants and chartered surveyors is working with St Albans City and District Council to raise the profile of St Albans as a ‘City of Expertise’.

A group has been set up to promote St Albans District as a centre for professional services expertise on the local, regional and national stage.

It has just launched the ‘City of Expertise’ campaign to highlight the combined skills of the cluster of professional services firms working in St Albans District.

Eighteen local professional services firms are members of the group, along with the Council and St Albans District Chamber of Commerce.

A ‘City of Expertise’ website has been developed to showcase the skills available in St Albans along with a logo for use on local firms’ corporate literature. Posters promoting St Albans as the City of Expertise have also been placed at St Albans and Harpenden stations, key entrance points to the District.

St Albans is home to around 80 Chartered Accountancy firms, 50 legal firms and many firms of chartered surveyors. The City is also located in one of the top 10 areas for employment in professional services occupations in England*.

The idea to bring local firms together to put the spotlight on the expertise and knowledge in St Albans came out of the Council’s economic development work.

The Council’s Leader Cllr Julian Daly, who is a board member of Hertfordshire’s Local Enterprise Partnership, has led this initiative at the Council. He recognises that local professional services firms play a key role in helping to develop the local and regional economy.

“St Albans has long been a service hub with its historic market and its important transport links. This gives us a legacy of businesses with top quality accounting, financial, legal, surveying and related skills,” said Cllr Daly. “St Albans is in the top 10 areas for employment in professional occupations in England and has expertise and knowledge to rival top London firms.”

Situated 20 minutes by train from central London, the beautiful medieval and roman architecture, thriving economy and lush countryside attracts many London professionals to settle in St Albans.

St Albans District Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lisa Bates added: “The Chamber welcomes this work and is very pleased to be a pivotal partner to make St Albans known for the professional services sector way beyond the City boundaries. We want to be renowned as a City of Expertise!”