Unlock the true potential
of your land
If you own or represent land that could have potential for commercial development, Richborough Commercial can help you understand the opportunity and determine the best way to unlock its value.
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We work with landowners to promote land for industrial & logistics, trade counter, retail, data centre, roadside and mixed-use development across the UK.
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From initial site appraisal and planning strategy through to securing permission and marketing the land, we bring together the expertise, investment and resources required to maximise its potential.
Could your land have commercial development potential?
Commercial opportunities can arise in many different locations and circumstances.
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Land close to major towns, cities, strategic road networks and established employment areas can have particular potential for commercial development. We also consider brownfield, greenfield, Green Belt and technically challenging sites, and land may have potential whether or not it is already allocated for development.
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Our initial appraisal considers factors including:
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• Location and strategic connectivity
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• Planning policy and employment land requirements
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• Access and highways
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• Infrastructure and utilities
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• Environmental and technical constraints
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• Surrounding land uses
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• Market and occupier demand
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• Potential commercial uses
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• Deliverability and likely land value
Every site is different. Our role is to identify the strategy that gives your land the best opportunity of achieving a successful outcome.
We invest in unlocking your land’s potential
Promoting land through the planning system can require significant investment, specialist expertise and a long-term commitment.
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Under a Promotion Agreement, Richborough Commercial funds the legal, technical, design and planning work required to bring the opportunity forward.
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We manage the consultant team, build the evidence base, develop the planning strategy and progress the land through the planning process. The wider Richborough land promotion model is based on the promoter taking the financial risk and only receiving its return when the land is sold.
Our interests are aligned with yours
A Promotion Agreement creates a partnership between landowner and promoter.
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Richborough Commercial does not need to acquire your land to make its return. Our fee is paid from the eventual sale proceeds, so we share your objective of securing a strong planning outcome, achieving attractive commercial terms and maximising the eventual sale price.
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Once planning is secured, the land can be marketed competitively to credible developers, occupiers, property companies, funds and investors.
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That means the eventual purchaser does not have to be selected at the outset. Instead, planning value is created first and prospective buyers can then compete for the opportunity.
Commercial expertise backed by Richborough
Successful land promotion depends on understanding planning, design, infrastructure, technical constraints, market demand and eventual delivery.
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Richborough Commercial is made up of chartered planning, land and development specialists, supported by Richborough’s in-house engineering, architecture, urban design and disposals expertise.
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Being part of the Richborough Group also gives landowners the reassurance of a business established in 2003 with extensive experience of promoting complex land opportunities.
A strategy built around your land
There is no standard route to unlocking commercial land.
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Depending on the site, the best approach could be an immediate planning application, promotion through the Local Plan or strategic planning process, or a combination of routes.
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We keep the strategy under review as planning policy, technical evidence, occupier demand and market conditions evolve. Because we are a land promoter rather than the eventual developer, we are not tied to one development product, pipeline or capital programme.
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The Richborough Way is Richborough’s distinctive approach to land promotion, combining industry-leading expertise, data-led decision-making and design excellence to unlock the true potential of Britain’s land.
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For Commercial landowners, this means bringing planning, land, design, technical and market expertise together from the earliest stages.
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The aim is not simply to secure permission, but to create high-quality, deliverable development opportunities that generate long-term value for landowners and better outcomes for communities and the environment.
A track record you can see
Richborough Commercial’s growing portfolio currently comprises around 1,500 acres of commercial land with the potential to deliver more than 16 million sq ft of floorspace.
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Importantly, our track record extends beyond planning.
At Richborough Park, Viking Way, Congleton, Phase One of the commercial development is complete and fully let, with Phase Two under construction.
At Richborough Park, Market Weighton, outline planning consent was secured in February 2024 for employment, commercial and community space alongside 120 homes. The site was subsequently sold to Danum Homes and Lidl, with construction beginning in 2025.
Landowner guides
Find out more about Richborough, land promotion and the different ways we work with landowners.
Richborough Landowner Guide
Selling your land - Guide for landowners
A practical introduction to Richborough’s land promotion approach, including the planning process, design and technical expertise and the journey from initial appraisal to sale. The guide includes a clear 10-step land promotion process.
Institutional Landowners Guide
Information for Institutional Landowners
For universities, charities, trusts, companies, landed estates and other institutional landowners, this guide explains Richborough’s experience of promoting large, complex and prestigious landholdings.
Could your land have commercial potential?
Start a conversation
You do not need to know whether your land is suitable for development before contacting us.
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If you own land, represent a landowner or have identified a potential commercial opportunity, speak to our team. We can undertake an initial assessment and discuss the potential routes available.
Landowner Brochure
Discover the benefits of choosing Richborough Commercial as your land promotion partner.
Institutional
Landowner Brochure
Information for Institutional Landowners, including universities,
charities, pension trusts, companies and landed estates.