Obituary: David Heap - Chartered surveyor who fought to defend Piece Hall and Square Chapel

David Heap was a partner with Walker Singleton for more than 35 years, having earlier worked for Calderdale Council, Henry Spencer and R Stewart Newiss.

Born in Bradford in 1954, he joined Walker Singleton in 1982 and became a partner two years later.

Over the succeeding decades he was central to business growth, not just in creating a thriving commercial property department widely recognised by its clients and peers, but also spearheading development as the largest, independently owned, multi-disciplined surveying practice in the region.

His passion and unrivalled property knowledge led to him working closely with authorities and groups to save the heritage sites of Square Chapel and The Piece Hall, alongside embedded relationships with the business saviours of the iconic mill complex at Dean Clough.

He was also central to the development of Lowfield’s Business Park in Elland, now a thriving commercial centre.

Mr Heap - known as Heapy to his many friends and business acquaintances - was lead advisor for Tesco Plc for their many acquisitions and disposals in the region and was co-lead on the single biggest project undertaken by the business - providing strategic advice and property-based leadership to the Government created UK Asset Realisation formed at the time of the financial crisis to resolve lending issues within Bradford and Bingley and Northern Rock.