Dougie Bowers

Head of CPO guidance, Valuation Office Agency


Dougie Bowers MRICS is employed as a Principal Surveyor focussing on a mix of Transport and Infrastructure and Development Viability work in Scotland. He leads the Transport Team for the VOA in Scotland. He is currently involved in acquiring properties for projects such as A9 dualling, Perth Transport Futures Project, Airdrie to Bathgate Railway, and AWPR. Previous experience includes Upper Forth Crossing, Kincardine Eastern Link Road, Gleneagles Station Link Road, A90 Grade Separated Junctions, Edinburgh Tram and various other schemes. He has also dealt with part 1 claims for local authorities, Transport Scotland and Network Rail.

Dougie has dealt with compensation and compulsory purchase work for most of his 35 years in the Valuation Office and has gained very substantial experience acting for acquiring authorities in numerous compulsory purchase schemes. He has also appeared as Expert Witness at Lands Tribunal and has been involved in many large schemes form an early stage providing advice on compensation issues, complex cases and dealing with objections etc. He has also dealt with compensation for a number of flood schemes including Almondbank, Elgin, Dunfermline, the Water of Leith and the Braid Burn.

As well as his day job he delivers one module each year at Edinburgh Napier University (which includes statutory valuation) and has provided RICS training courses on Compulsory Purchase and has spoken at RICS CPD events on Affordable Housing and Development Viability. He has contributed to RICS guidance notes and RICS Scotland Working Groups.