Colin Cottage achieves Accredited Evaluative Mediator status with RICS-DRS

Ardent is pleased to announce that Colin Cottage, Head of our Complex Cases Team, has achieved Accredited Evaluative Mediator status with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Dispute Resolution Service (RICS-DRS). 

The accreditation recognises Colin’s ability to combine his extensive technical knowledge with the mediation and interpersonal skills needed to help parties navigate complex disputes and work towards resolution. 

Evaluative mediation differs from purely facilitative mediation by allowing an appropriately qualified mediator to draw on their technical expertise to provide neutral evaluation where appropriate. This can help parties better understand their respective positions, explore the strengths and risks associated with a dispute, and identify potential routes to agreement before progressing to more formal proceedings. 

For Colin, whose work involves advising both landowners and acquiring authorities on complex land and compensation matters, the accreditation complements his technical expertise and provides an additional route to support parties through challenging disputes. 

Colin Cottage commented: “I am very pleased to have achieved this accreditation and look forward to using my experience and training to help parties to settle compulsory purchase compensation disputes without having to incur the costs of a Lands Chamber hearing.   

Although the use of mediation in compulsory purchase is increasing, in my opinion its use could and should be further expanded.  Not only in relation to compensation disputes, but also during the earlier stages of a project when parties might benefit from written agreements setting out ground rules for future engagement.” 

Colin’s newly awarded status makes him the second member of the Ardent team to become an accredited mediator, further strengthening our dispute resolution capability. 

The RICS Dispute Resolution Service provides specialist dispute resolution services across the built environment, with more than 600 dispute resolvers supporting parties to resolve disputes through alternative dispute resolution. 

Colin’s accreditation adds further depth to our dispute resolution expertise and strengthens the support we can provide to clients dealing with complex land, compensation and compulsory purchase matters.