The merger of two leading accountancy practices is a welcome boost to Colchester and the surrounding area

Streets Chartered Accountants, a top 40 UK accountancy practice, is delighted to announce the founding of Streets Whittles Chartered Accountants.

The announcement follows the merger of the Colchester and Mersea island practice of Whittles with Streets Chartered Accountants, a mid-tier multi regional practice.

When asked about the merger, Rachel Skells the lead partner for Whittles, said: “This merger is a great match, both in terms of client focus and cultural fit and we are very much looking forward to working with, and getting to know, our new colleagues.

“Myself and my fellow partners made the decision to merge the firm with Streets because we believe it is in the best interests for all concerned. In terms of size, a three-partner firm has the benefits of a boutique firm but also a number of underlying challenges. Now that Whittles is part of a wider thriving practice, we can confidently promise greater continuity of service to our clients and greatly improved career prospects for our team.

“We also believe our clients may potentially benefit in that the combined firm will also be able to offer a wider range of services including areas of specialist corporate and private client tax planning, international advice and personal financial planning.”

Commenting on the merger and what it means to Streets, the firm’s Managing Partner, Paul Tutin, said:

“With Streets’ existing offices across the East of England, including Cambridge and Newmarket and further south in Stevenage and London, we have been looking to establish a presence in Essex.

“Whilst we considered opening a new office in the county, we really wanted to join up with another liked minded firm. We were therefore delighted to enter into a conversation with the Whittles partners, Rachel Skells, Michael Greene and Dan Insley. Very early on in our discussion it was clear that we shared by the same vision and values for the profession and for supporting our clients. This certainly made the process of merging much easier, even enjoyable. A great start to our new future together.”

“By coming together both Whittles and ourselves will be able to capitalise on our respective expertise and will be better placed to grow and develop to support the needs of both existing and future clients. We also feel that the merger brings exciting opportunities for our team members and for new recruits who can join a progressive and expanding practice. With Streets Whittles offices in Colchester and Mersea, we now have 19 offices from Manchester in the north to Brighton in the south.

“Whilst many large firms have moved to more regional models, Streets remains committed to and focused on looking after clients that live, work and operate businesses in the local area. This approach is very much at the heart of our strategic focus for growth, which is likely to include further mergers of likeminded firms. Our aspiration is to become a top 20 UK practice by 2030.”