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Deloitte will compete with leading QS firms by launching a construction cost consultancy business headed by former Davis Langdon partner, Neill Morrison.

The 10-man team will grow to 50 by poaching senior consultants from other firms over the next three to four years, and seeks to challenge the 鈥渇ormulaic鈥� way QSs normally work.

Morrison, who was managing partner of Davis Langdon鈥檚 commercial 鈥渂lue team鈥� in London, said that the business would offer strategic advice to big City tenants and the residential sector, with a team made up of 鈥渢he very best people in the industry.鈥�

鈥淭hese people [from Deloitte] are very bright, so I show them only the very best people,鈥� he said.

Three members in addition to Morrison have arrived from Davis Langdon, including Michael Cracknell, a former director, as well as Simon Willis, former Gardiner & Theobald partner.

鈥淚鈥檓 finding that I can attract other people from almost every other consultant,鈥� Morrison said, although he added that he was not intending to poach any more people from Davis Langdon.

鈥淭oo often clients challenge my profession and it does not deliver,鈥� he said, adding that quantity surveying was often a business that people 鈥渇all into鈥�.

鈥淲e are developing cost models that I have never seen before. We are starting with a fresh piece of paper each time,鈥� he said.

The team will work with the construction arm of Drivers Jonas Deloitte (DJD), which already does project management and building surveying. DJD was formed after Deloitte bought property services group Drivers Jonas in January 2010.

Mike Cuthbert, project management partner in DJD, said Morrison鈥檚 team will win work partly through Deloitte clients: 鈥淥ther cost consultants don鈥檛 have the 鈥檌n鈥� that Deloitte does鈥�.

Other parts of Deloitte will advise on sustainability, tax and planning, aiming to create a unique service to compete with QS firms that are often 鈥渢oo formulaic鈥�, Cuthbert said.