Land and planning

Proven Performance in All Conditions: Even when market conditions are challenging, we consistently deliver strong results and have demonstrated our expertise in navigating complex deal structures.

Long-Term Vision for Value Creation: We take a long view of the market, working with landowners who want to realise the true value of their assets over the long term.

Financial Strength for Swift Action: Our strong financial position allows us to act swiftly and decisively on new opportunities.

Design-Led Expertise: We are renowned for our expertise in design-led development and can unlock planning to maximise value and create exceptional spaces.

Collaboration: Building strong relationships, we work collaboratively to achieve our partner’s vision, developing sensitively and creating a positive local legacy, understanding what this means for partners with strong ties to the local area.

Our commitment to these core strengths is reflected in our significant investment in expanding the Strategic and Residential Land teams. As a result, 2023 witnessed the busiest year in our company’s history for land acquisitions and we continue to invest in both immediate and strategic opportunities to support the continued growth of the Group.

We recorded over £150m of land investments during 2023 and early 2024, boosting our long-term pipeline by over 3,000 new homes across 11 developments, for a total gross development value (GDV) of £1.3bn. All of the developments have planning and and over 44% of the homes (1,300) will be designated as affordable. Nine of the developments are expected to start on site by the end of 2024, with the remaining pair anticipated to begin in 2025 and beyond.

The investments were made during a period of increased economic uncertainty, demonstrating our proactive and long-term approach, and positioning the company for strong growth in 2025.

Of the 11 developments, two are being delivered in joint venture with Peabody and two sites are being delivered in equal partnership with Cambridge City Council.

In January 2024, we announced the acquisition of 71 acres of land in Little Chalfont, south-east Buckinghamshire. The acquisition, which comes with outline planning, was facilitated by the acquisition of two local landowner companies. Our ability to work at such pace and scale, to deal with the complexity of acquiring multiple companies, and with onward sales of parcels to extra care and retirement operators, is testament to our growing capabilities.

Little Chalfont Park will be a significant new development with thoughtful placemaking, scenic landscaping, and woodland vistas, accompanied by attractive architecture inspired by the local vernacular.

The masterplan for the development includes up to 380 new low-carbon private sale and affordable homes, a single-form entry primary school, a retirement village, a care home, sports and play facilities, a community centre, a health surgery, and a local convenience store, all set within significant green open space.

The masterplan for the development includes up to 380 new low-carbon private sale and affordable homes, a single-form entry primary school, a retirement village, a care home, sports and play facilities, a community centre, a health surgery, and a local convenience store, all set within significant green open space.

Sustainability will be a central focus of the gas-free development, with dwellings designed to reduce operational carbon emissions through energy-efficient and renewable technologies including air-source heat pumps, photovoltaic panels on roofs, and electric vehicle charging points for all properties.

We will actively boost the site’s biodiversity through new tree planting, the preservation of areas of ancient woodland, and the creation of 10 hectares of suitable alternative natural green space (SANG), including pedestrian and cycle paths. This will be further promoted via the inclusion of parks, allotments, a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) together with several play areas throughout the development.

A series of reserved matters applications for the development will be submitted by autumn 2024, with a start on site in spring 2025. The build phase is planned to last six years, with the final completions expected by spring/summer 2031.

Located in the district of South Cambridgeshire and around four miles east of Cambridge city centre, we purchased this 17-acre site in April 2023. The site was acquired with reserved matters approval for 110 dwellings including 30% affordable homes.

Work at Farehurst Park began at end of 2023 and we launched the first phase of homes at the development in May 2024.

Burgess Hill is a development in West Sussex where 30% of the 266 homes are designated as affordable. The development includes provision of a 60-bed extra care facility, plus new commercial and retail space, and the delivery of a new community centre. We will submit our planning submission in the summer of 2024, targeting a start on site in April 2025 and completion towards the end of 2028.

We were selected as delivery partner by Buckinghamshire Council to develop two key housing developments, at Bellfield Road, High Wycombe and Ashwells Field, Tylers Green in an agreement which will deliver over 177 high-quality sustainable new homes for the area.

At Bellfield Road, we will transform the site of a disused storage facility into a collection of 68 one, two, and three-bedroom affordable apartments. A reserved matters planning application was submitted in the spring of 2024.

Plans for Ashwells Field feature a range of over 109 houses set around landscaped gardens and open communal space, including a children’s play area. The homes at Ashwells Field will include private sale, and a mix of affordable tenures. Working closely with the local community and the planning authority, detailed designs will go to planning in the summer of 2024.

In March 2024, we received the resolution to grant for Beaufort Park, a 226 home development in Bracknell, Berkshire. The 50% affordable project is being delivered in joint venture with Sovereign Network Group.

Designed with a specific focus on the delivery of family homes, the landscape-led masterplan puts ancient woodland and country vistas at the heart of the development, with habitats dedicated to increasing biodiversity and 5.5 hectares of SANG (Suitable Alternative Natural Green Space) for the benefit of the community in perpetuity. ’Garden Streets’ with raised planters designed for growing vegetables and flowers are included in the plans, as are children’s play areas.

We are due to start enabling works in September 2024 with work set to commence on site in January 2025. Beaufort Park is scheduled to complete in early 2028.

As a marker of our success, around 300 homes were delivered through planning from our strategic land portfolio.

The long-term nature of strategic land acquisition presents a unique opportunity to consider what the future of sustainable homes and places should look like. While developments may take up to a decade to come to fruition, this extended time frame allows us to plan for the future and integrate sustainable best practices from the outset.

By prioritising zero-carbon strategies from the earliest stage, we are ensuring our future developments are built to the highest sustainability standards, minimising their environmental footprint, and creating a more sustainable future for generations to come.

Matt Tunley, Strategic Land Director

In October, we formed a new partnership with the Arkwright family to plan, promote, and develop 650 acres of land in South Warwickshire to create a significant new settlement, extending our operational area and cementing our foothold in the Midlands. We were selected by the family as partner for the landmark project in Hatton due to our track record for delivering high-quality, sustainable new homes, infrastructure, and placemaking.

The masterplan includes 4,500 new low-carbon private sale and affordable homes, new schools, and the delivery of community amenities, such as sports facilities, parkland, play areas, and commercial and office property. Additionally, a new technology park will be created to further enhance the economic prospects and diversity of the area.

We are working closely with the landowner throughout the site’s promotion, to collaborate on the vision and plans for the development. Once approved, we will lead the delivery of the long-term project, with strategic development partners added at later stages.

We also partnered with experienced land promoter Barwood Land to promote 1,000 acres of land on the outskirts of Braintree, Essex, with plans to deliver over 5,000 homes and create a new settlement. The site will be promoted and developed as part of the strategic partnership, with additional investment and delivery partners being introduced at points throughout the project.

We will bring forward our plans which include high-quality new homes, as well as amenities and infrastructure, while providing social and environmental benefits to the community.

The plans include extensive open green space for residents to access nature and enjoy outdoor recreation, and we aim to achieve a significant biodiversity net gain while preserving and enhancing the existing ecological features of the land.

Alongside the allocation of new homes, the masterplan includes new primary and secondary schools, community facilities, and space for business and commercial uses where the local community will benefit from a range of new employment opportunities.

In Barnet, we succeeded with revised plans for the development of 115 new homes on land adjoining the Grade 2-listed Whalebones House. Having addressed concerns about the impact on the historic building and the Wood Lane Conservation Area by incorporating significant revisions into the new plans, our proposals were approved by Barnet Council.

The revised plans incorporate 42 houses and 73 apartments, with a total of 47 homes designated as affordable housing, exceeding 40% of the development. The apartment buildings are clustered in three blocks located further away from Whalebones House to minimise visual impact.

With our residential development, Chesterford Meadows in the village of Great Chesterford, Essex, proving popular among buyers, we succeeded in securing planning for a second site in close proximity to develop a further 111 homes. Through extensive engagement with the parish council, we gained planning consent and will begin construction in late 2024.