Lodders Life Issue 10: The Richborough Way

As one of the UK’s leading land promoters, Richborough uses its land, planning and commercial expertise to identify sites, securing planning permission on behalf of landowners and development partners in the most efficient, value-creating manner.

Background

Established in 2003, Richborough is owner-managed by Paul Campbell, chief executive; Jonathan Bloor, managing director – western division; and James Bradshaw, managing director – eastern division. They grew the business organically by recycling capital into projects before securing private equity investment in 2022. This investment has propelled Richborough to the next level, now operating six residential regions and one commercial division across the UK, promoting edge-of-settlement sites to large, sustainable urban extensions. To support this regional structure, Richborough has expert teams of planners, surveyors, and former housebuilders, along with specialists in design, technical, disposal, and finance.

Richborough is built on partnerships, whether with farmers, charities, or corporate clients who lack the expertise or risk appetite to navigate the complex planning system. Today, Richborough manages more than 200 projects, ranging from small greenfield extensions of 50-100 homes to 1,000-2,000 home urban extensions.

Hospital Lane

The Richborough team strives to create high-quality, sustainable developments that integrate sympathetically with their surroundings, working closely with the local community to enhance existing infrastructure. In this spirit, Richborough secured its development partner, Persimmon Homes, for a 75-acre residential site in Bedworth, Warwickshire. Located on Hospital Lane, Bedworth, this site was allocated in Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council’s local plan. Richborough collaborated with the landowners, the Nicholas Chamberlaine Charitable Trust, to secure residential planning permission, including private and 25% affordable homes, retirement accommodation, retail space, a community centre, and green infrastructure benefiting the wider community.

The Richborough way

James Bradshaw says: “The Richborough way is for our teams to really get under the skin of a project, understanding the site, its opportunities and constraints, as well as our client’s requirements. For the development on Hospital Lane, Bedworth, this was especially important, given the role the landowner plays in the local community and the community benefits the project will deliver. We always engage with the local parish or town council and other key stakeholders, facilitating engagement and input from the public to incorporate feedback into our proposals. This project provides community facilities and extensive green infrastructure, bringing the site to life for both the existing community and new residents.”

The Future

Despite well-publicised planning challenges, the land market has been strong, driven largely by a lack of development sites. James continues: “Greenbelt is often misunderstood. We need to remember that the greenbelt policy was introduced under the 1947 Town & Country Planning Act, and we’re now in 2024. Releasing greenbelt in a sustainable manner will help deliver homes where they are needed most, addressing affordability issues, especially for young people struggling to access private or rented housing. Given the new Labour government’s positive stance and upcoming policy changes on planning and housing, we are optimistic about the market’s health and stability moving forward.”

Click here to read Lodders Life Issue 10 in full.