A chartered surveyor in Kendal has been named New Surveyor of the Year by the Chartered Surveyors 1938 Club, making him the first rural practice surveyor to achieve the title in 13 years.

The club - a support group for newly qualified RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) members - awarded Fergus Russell, 30, the title for submitting the best assessment of professional competence(APC).

Candidates are required to document their practical experience and knowledge over a minimum period of 24 months, during which time they must demonstrate they have a number of skills and the ability to perform a variety of tasks or functions ethically and with a good level of client care.

Mr Russell’s submission dealt with a rare opportunity to let a traditional livestock farm in which he incorporated recommendations to expand and diversify it and gained a new Farm Business Tenancy.

Mr Russell said: “The APC is hard going and requires lots of commitment and dedication, so I’m delighted that my hard work has been recognised and that I’ve been able to bring awareness to the important role of a chartered surveyor in the rural sector.

“I thoroughly enjoy my job as no day is ever the same. One day I can be providing advice on running an estate that’s been in a family for generations, whilst the next day may involve dealing with grant and subsidy applications, negotiating land access applications or dealing with farm sales.”

Commenting on Mr Russell's success, Julian Lambton, partner at Carter Jonas, added: “This award rightly recognises his enthusiasm for the job, and the skills he brings to it. I am delighted for him and I wish him continuing success.”