James started his career in the Valuation Office as a Graduate Valuer based in Salisbury. He moved shortly afterwards to his current office in Southampton. Early in his career, James undertook rating casework, revaluation work and capital taxation and asset valuations.  In 2004 he became Team Leader for a Property Services team serving Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. He later specialised in development viability appraisals, undertaking work for local authorities concerning the affordability of planning obligations and representing the planning authority as expert witness at planning appeals and public inquiries. James undertook a secondment to DCLG’s Housing and Market’s team in 2012 and, on his return James began his current role as a Technical Adviser within the VOA’s Chief Valuer Group advising surveyors within the network and case managing key litigation cases at the Upper Tribunal and beyond.