Crown Golf appoints fund manager Fairway Capital to explore plans

An Australian company has set out its plans to build more than 3,000 homes on land around its golf courses in London, the South East and the South West.

Crown Golf, which is owned by the Australian Bangarra Group and owns eight golf courses covering 580ha, has appointed fund manager Fairway Capital as investment advisor and manager to its real estate portfolio.

StMellionEstate,aerial

Source: Crown Golf

Crown Golf鈥檚 flagship St Mellion Estate in Cornwall, where 200 new homes are being considered.

The pair are drawing up residential plans with the aim of creating a real estate holding worth in excess of 拢1bn GDV.

The proposed new homes, which they plan to deliver in a 鈥渃arefully phased programme anticipated to take up to six years鈥, would include 1,000 affordable units, alongside retained golf facilities.

Jeff Chapman, founder of Bangarra Group, said: 鈥淓arlier this year, the chancellor underscored in her Budget speech the critical importance of strong and consistent economic growth for a post-Brexit UK. 

鈥淚n today鈥檚 volatile trade environment, property remains a steadfast asset 鈥 unshackled by tariffs or transient policies. It is the foundation upon which the UK can reassert itself as one of the world鈥檚 great nations.鈥

Fairway Capital鈥檚 chief executive, George Brooksbank, added that previous efforts to repurpose the organisation鈥檚 land holdings for housing had been 鈥渉indered by restrictive planning policies and a reluctance to develop greenfield or rural land鈥. 

鈥淭he new Labour government, with housing policy led by Angela Rayner, brings a fresh approach to housing delivery 鈥 embracing development on underutilised greybelt land and showing new openness to appropriate greenfield sites,鈥 he continued.

Brooksbank said there was now 鈥渞eal momentum鈥 on the plans and that the initiative was a 鈥渧ital early test case for Labour鈥檚 housing agenda鈥.

On its flagship St Mellion Estate in Cornwall, over 200 new homes are being considered.