Located the land through contacts and was able to secure the site for Bellway off market through sensitive negotiation.
I was consulted by the landowner who had tried and failed to sell the farm with the benefit of the allocation.
From our constant inspections of planning applications within our geographical area, I was able to contact the promoter of this site and acquire it for Bellway Homes.
In these years I was instrumental in acquiring two new stores for Lidl in Eaton Socon and Bedford.
I found a disused and redundant commercial building of some 50,000 square feet which was located next to residential and was able to acquire the land for Client Frontier Estates who purchased the property outright and went on to secure planning permission for a care home and 56 building plots that I sold as retained agent via a tender process to Bellway Homes. At the time of the sale I negotiated an uplift on the sales values which years later entitled the client to an additional £500,000.
One of my most coveted clients Manor Farm Developments acquired the promotion of this site and kindly retained my services for a difficult disposal to Mears Homes.
One of the most disappointing deals I ever did was advising the landowners of an industrial Estate on the change of use and difficult and lengthy process of finding a promoter to obtain planning permission for residential (90 units). Eventually when it went through the landowner moaned that it had taken too long was very stressful and because of that he wasn’t going to pay me. Expensive lesson of shaking a man’s hand.
Despite two attempts by the landowner to sell the land with the benefit of an allocation of 350 new homes firstly by trying to do it themselves then secondly instructing a firm of surveyors eventually I got my turn and secured the sale to Catalyst Homes first time round.
I was recommended by a business associate and friend to advise a landowner with land on the edge of the settlement of Cranfield. They had been trying for 10 years to have the land allocated for housing. I engaged in a process of diligence and planning research and approached the then in form Gladman Developments and signed them up to a 5 year land promotion contract. Phase 1 application went through some trying times with much opposition from Councillors against the application and a permission for the construction of 230 new homes was triumphantly won and the land was sold to Bloor Homes following a tender and marketing process by Taylor and Co.
I was called in by a family friend to advise on the suitability of their land for housing and subsequently instructed to continue the process. I secured a promoter and the land was successfully allocated for the construction of not less than 65 new homes. The site has significant ecological and land complications and an application for housing is in the process.
My dear friend Jon Taylor owner of Taylor Land and Taylor Made, son of the greatly missed David R Taylor my inspiration and mentor in many years from working for him at Compass, sent me a site he knew could be acquired in the upmarket town. I was able to introduce Hayfield Homes to the site who went on to complete the purchase of the site in good time. I look forward to working with Taylor Made New Homes with whom we have secured a contract to sell the houses which Hayfield are building.
I was blessed to have the opportunity of working with EF Wootton as part of a team instructed to promote land in Wyboston for a new settlement of 5000 houses. Over the years many hours were spent at risk in advising, devising plans and negotiating a path forwards for the land to gain an allocation.
