How long have you worked at Hargreaves Land and can you describe your role?
I joined Hargreaves Land as Strategic Land Director in 2024 as part of the acquisition of Ptarmigan Land North, which I established in 2022 as part of the wider Ptarmigan Group. I’m based in the Leeds office and responsible for driving the further expansion of our strategic land portfolio.
2025 is your 25th year in the planning and strategic land industry. What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Wow, how time flies!? I’m very privileged to have been part of some great successes throughout my career. I’ve met and worked with some amazing people and have collected a lot of fond memories along the way. It would be a bit unfair to single out any one particular success but my drive and hunger for more remains as strong as ever.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I love that on each project I get to play a part in making big positive change happen through the development of land. It’s very challenging at times – strategic land and planning is never easy – but I get a real buzz from helping to unlock difficult situations and working as part of a wide team – colleagues, consultants, solicitors, agents and of course our landowners and housebuilder partners.
What made you join Hargreaves Land?
Setting up a northern strategic land portfolio from scratch in 2022 was an exciting challenge and the opportunity to then become part of a large northern-headquartered PLC with the appetite, resources and culture to accelerate further portfolio growth in a highly competitive and increasingly sophisticated land promotion market was just too good an opportunity to miss.
As our strategic land portfolio continues to grow, what excites you about 2025 and beyond?
Our outlook is very positive. The consistent flow of good quality sites with good planning prospects over recent years has been really pleasing to see. With the new Government’s strong housing and economic growth and planning reform agenda, we’re currently in a period of even bigger opportunity. Opportunity comes with risks too of course so a carefully considered approach to strategic land acquisition and promotion remains critical.
How would you describe yourself?
I’d like to think that those who have worked with me would describe me as knowledgeable, a strategic thinker, hands-on with an attention to detail, tenacious and committed…with very understanding family and friends!
Tell us an interesting fact about yourself that people may not know.
Not surprising to anyone who knows me but I’m a huge supporter of Bradford City – the (not so) mighty Bantams – and my guilty pleasure is trashy reality TV. Well, somebody has to, right?!