Today, This Land™has announced the appointment of David Lewis as Strategic Land Director. This high-profile appointment reflects the ambition of the fast growing development and investment business to expand beyond its Cambridgeshire heartlands and to pursue strategic land and investment opportunities across England and Wales. Strategic Land Director, David Lewis, will grow his team to build upon This Land’s™ 23 site development portfolio which is set to deliver in excess of 1,700 new homes across Cambridgeshire.
This Land™ has identified 11 regions across England and South Wales where it plans to establish strategic land teams, to be rolled out steadily over the next few years under David Lewis’s direction*. Each region forms an economic opportunity within which This Land™ will deliver continued growth through strategic land development and investment. In addition to Cambridge – where This Land™ already owns 23 sites – This Land’s™ efforts will be focused on national economic corridors, for example the HS2 route: London – Birmingham – Crewe – Manchester, the London Stanstead Cambridge corridor and the M4 corridor: Bristol – Reading – London.
With a career in strategic land and development spanning 20 years, David Lewis brings a wide breadth of expertise to This Land™, covering both commercial and residential development. Previously Head of Strategic Land for the Eastern Region at Commercial Estates Group, David has extensive experience throughout the Home Counties, Essex and Cambridgeshire. He has built an enviable record of identifying and securing interests in some of the most attractive strategic development opportunities to come to market, having worked closely with a range of stakeholders to deliver better schemes with real social and economic value.
Managing Director, David Gelling, commented: “The appointment of David Lewis is a real coup for This Land™. We are excited to embark on the ambitious expansion of our business, through a strategic programme of land acquisition and investment, so soon after our launch in the market place. David has the perfect skillset to help drive our regional expansion, which will include both residential sites and a variety of commercial asset classes. We welcome him to the team.”
David Lewis’s arrival at This Land™ is the latest in a raft of senior appointments for the company, including ex-Minister and London Mayoral candidate, Steven Norris, who took up the post of non-executive Chairman in November 2018.
David Lewis added: “With its strong ethos as a challenger brand, This Land™presents the ideal opportunity for me to build a team and deliver on the company’s ambition to carve a unique approach to project development, away from the old volume housebuilder mode and towards a much more design-led offering to our customers, rolled out across England and Wales. This Land’s™ determination to establish itself as an industry-leading innovator confirms it is the perfect fit for me.”
*The 11 regions identified by This Land™ are detailed below:
