Founded by Brian Harding BSc, Catalyst Land Solutions is only seven years old but boasts a team with more than 125 years of direct industry experience.
The latest addition to the team has been David Harding FCIOB, whose extensive career in construction management and project delivery started in the 1960s. During that time, David oversaw multiple housing projects in the Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes areas, before moving on to head up the residential arm of the now Keepmoat Group, Haslam Homes nationwide.
Along with Brian, Chris Westall (RICS), Malcolm Webb and Claire Williams-Harding, David enhances a strong, industry-focused line-up that has the extensive knowledge and know-how to help landowners make the best use of their assets and deliver good-quality housing across various tenures.
Project management and land consultancy is at the heart of CLS’s business, supporting clients from inception, or taking over an existing project, and seeing it through to completion.
Brian said:
“My aim has always been to put together a team of trusted professionals that provide sound advice, with the client’s interest at heart, so that they can get the most out of their investment, even if the advice sometimes means confronting the brutal facts of a project.
“We have a fantastic team, strengthened by the addition of David recently, so I think we really do offer unrivalled experience in terms of land development and project management including quantity surveying and clerk of works services.
“We work across the board, finding land and helping bring ideas to fruition, and something we have found increasingly attractive is our pre-prepared scheme approach, which offers a proactive approach to land-led development. What that means is that we often find an available site, carry out due diligence, bring contractors and a design team on board, and then present the whole scheme to an investor.
“For some clients, that’s an attractive proposition because it reduces the risks to their investment and saves them the time and money involved in getting a project under way.”
A significant number of CLS clients are housing associations, for whom the practice plays an important role in the successful delivery of new affordable housing.
A current project is the Walnut Tree development, Oakview Court, in Milton Keynes, being delivered for Grand Union Living. The development comprises 30 two-bedroom apartments across a variety of tenures. CLS identified the site opportunity, submitted the tender to Milton Keynes Development Partnership at no cost to the client, and then oversaw the technical and planning team through the planning process. The project is now being delivered by the CLS employers’ agent, quantity surveying and clerk of works team.
“Everyone in development is always looking for the best value for money, but particularly when we’re dealing with housing associations that are trying to do something to improve the quality of life for others, using public money, that’s even more important. If we can make the process more straightforward, cost-effective and with fewer risks for all our clients, then we know we’re doing our job properly.
“By putting together the best, most experienced people for a project, we ensure our clients are getting the best service in the industry. Our strength is in identifying opportunities for land use, down to the smallest plot, and turning a concept into reality.”
Find out more about Catalyst Land Solutions, call 01604 700674 or email info@catalystlandsolutions.co.uk
