The beginning of the second quarter of 2018 has been extremely busy for the Western Division, with the team managing multiple live and soon-to-be submitted planning applications; appeals; new acquisitions and the disposals of consented sites.
Martyn Grimes, Regional Director for the Midlands has been overseeing the sale of our Congleton, Cheshire East allocation (200 dwellings) – and we hope to be able to report soon our appointed housebuilder partner. https://www.richborough.co.uk/projects/congleton-phase-2/78.htm
Martyn is also working hard to secure new opportunities in the Worcester market-area.
Together with Haydn Jones (Planning Director) and Joe Jones (Assistant Land & Planning Manager) – Martyn has also been driving forward the submission of two planning applications in South Staffordshire: one in Kinver (45 dwellings) and the other in Wombourne (80 dwellings).
Both sites are proposed allocations in the South Staffordshire Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD) – and it is expected that following the recent Inspector’s Report which confirmed the DPD as being ‘sound’ – that our applications will coincide with the Council’s adoption of the DPD later this summer.
All being well, we hope to be marketing each site in the coming months, with a view to contracting with a development partner by the end of 2018. Please contact us if you would like further details of each opportunity.
We are also very pleased to confirm that we have secured new draft allocations for sites in Newcastle-Under-Lyme (550 dwellings), Hordle, New Forest (100 dwellings) and Harrogate (95 and 150 dwellings). Save for Harrogate, each of these sites have involved Green Belt promotion and the level of perseverance and skill in securing allocations via the Local Plan process is something that Richborough is particularly adept in.
This is well-demonstrated in our draft allocation for circa 600 homes in the settlement of Wimbourne in Poole. Over the past two years, Robert Mitchell, our Regional Manager for the South-West, has worked closely with Savills, the Council and other key consultees to secure the allocation in the Submission Version of the Council’s Local Plan. All being well, we hope to be marketing the site in the New Year.
We are actively pursuing new opportunities across all three of our Regions – are we are particularly keen to push further into the South / South-West and the North. Joe has been particularly active in seeking out new opportunities and we are confident that our next update will confirm the acquisition of further sites in quality market areas. Should you have any opportunities, please refer to our Divisional and Regional Operating Areas map for details of the relevant Richborough contact.
In my next update, I will be reporting on the progress of our submitted planning applications and draft allocations…and hopefully be reporting further good news!
All the best,
Jonathan Bloor – Western Divisional Director