Peter Lloyd: Norwich surveyor had key role in creating city’s shopping centre

As chief estates officer for Norwich City Council for three decades until the 1990s, he was responsible for managing its extensive property portfolio. At one time, the council was the biggest single property owner in Norwich.

He became an established part of the business community and during his 40 years in local government represented the property interests of the council and community in most of the major schemes within Norwich.

He was key to initiating redevelopment of Timberhill and the former Cattle Market, which had been unoccupied for a quarter of a century since the new Harford Bridge livestock market had been opened in 1961. It resulted in the Castle Mall Shopping Centre, which was one of the country's largest retail schemes.

He was made a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Born in Stepney in London's East End, in 1934, during the Blitz he was evacuated to Oxfordshire. Living near Banbury, he quickly came to appreciate a life style very different from inner city London.

He started his first job as a clerk at the London County Council where he was to meet his future wife, June. They married in 1957 and he qualified as a chartered surveyor through a training scheme with the LCC.

They had the first of their four children in 1961 and moved to Norfolk in 1964 to fulfil their dream of living and bringing up a family in the countryside. In 1967, they built a family house in Brooke where he lived until his death. A founder member of Brooke Tennis Club in the 1970s, he was also a member of the Brooke Society, bowls and the village gardeners' club.

He also played the piano and after retiring from the council, travelled the world with his wife following the fortunes of the England cricket team.

He leaves his widow, four children, Deborah, Alison, Caroline and Jonathan and five grandchildren.

A funeral will be held at St Peter's Church, Brooke on January 14 at 2pm.