A THRIVING Hexham business has proved it has the right prescription for success by breathing new life into a long vacant chemist’s shop.

Chartered building surveying practice Smith Marston is celebrating the completion of 10 years in business in the town by renovating the former Abbey Chemists pharmacy in Hencotes.

The pharmacy, last run by Boots the chemists, has been closed for 18 months, but directors Philip Smith and Adrian Marston are in the process of refurbishing the building as their new headquarters.

It will be ready for occupation early in the new year, but they have tidied up the derelict looking premises by redecorating the outside, and by applying a ‘shop jacket’ image to the frontage.

Adrian said: “This was to try and make the premises look more presentable in the short term, as the empty white–washed look was not great for the streetscape.

“The imaging applied to the frontage was designed to try and ‘lift’ the image, and in effect try to reduce the impact that other empty premises in town suffer from.”

The practice was established in 2005, and over the past decade has enjoyed considerable growth.

Being in charge of their own business has allowed the directors to adapt to the changing markets, whereby they chose to specialise in certain areas.

This has led the firm into a niche market, that evolves around ‘neighbourly matters’, with Adrian covering party wall commissions, Philip dealing with boundary disputes, and together, with a considerable sized technical team of around 30 staff behind them, they both now specialise in legal Right to Light matters, and daylight and sunlight matters in connection with planning applications.

As well as working in Tynedale, the firm’s work takes it all over the country, with current projects on the go in Liverpool, Manchester, Salford, Sheffield, Nottingham, Cardiff, Scarborough and Edinburgh.

Over the past two years, it has been acting for the Gibraltarian Government, and a large private developer, in connection with two schemes in the heart of Gibraltar.

Currently Smith Marston is acting for the National Trust, working on a Grade 1 listed building at Bellister Castle, and a Grade 2 listed cottage at Cambo, having recently worked on projects for National Trust at Gibside, and a Grade 2 listed cottage at Low Newton.

It is also currently active working with Trinity House, on Newcastle’s Quayside on its Grade 1 listed building, and has had years of ongoing refurbishment and consultancy work acting for the Lambton family at the Lambton Estate, Chester-le-Street, including refurbishment works on their Grade 1 listed family home, Biddick Hall.

Adrian said: “Philip and I have thoroughly enjoyed working together, and would like to extend our thanks to all of our clients, past and present, and of course other businesses, that have supported us over the past 10 years”.