Bath Road, Worcester

K1, Worcester

K2, Worcester

Commercial Property

8th April 2004

Neil Grinnall Homes has appointed a new Planning & Development Director to give the rapidly expanding developer the in-house expertise to lead all new site acquisitions through the increasingly complex planning process. 

Grant Arbuckle, who brings over 20 years of experience working in the planning and development industry, will oversee each new project for the Worcestershire based residential developer from pre-site acquisition through to planning approval. A native New Zealander, 42 year old Mr Arbuckle has spent the past 10 years with leading retirement home specialists McCarthy & Stone in the southeast and Midlands and most recently with Cheltenham based Pegasus. 

Grant Arbuckle, Planning & Development Director for Neil Grinnall Homes comments: “Affordable housing provision, preferences for mixed-use development on brownfield sites and high density quotas have made the planning process increasingly more complex.  It is crucial for smaller, privately owned developers such as us to avoid lengthy delays between purchasing a site and start of the build programme. My role involves building relationships with Local Authorities, planning specialists, architects, technical and environmental consultants to prepare applications and plan for public consultations. 

“I am delighted to be joining Neil Grinnall Homes because it gives me a real opportunity to work with a relatively small in-house team to make a valued contribution to the growth of the company. Our strategy going forward is to work together to develop a reputation for quality by setting a new standard in the regional new homes market place.”

Grant Arbuckle’s first project is the proposed Albion Mill conversion, which is recommended for planning approval by the Local Authority for 78 one and two bedroom apartments within the fabric of Worcester Royal Porcelain’s 19^th Century Mill. The building lies directly on the Diglis canal basin just beyond the core of the cathedral city. The new apartments and penthouses will boast spectacular views of the city, the Malvern Hills and the changing waterside scenery.

Neil Grinnall, Chairman said: “Grant has a fundamental knowledge of the industry having been the regional Managing Director of a national housebuilder as well as holding the position of Senior Planning Officer at Local Authority level for over three years. He will give us a new insight into how to effectively deliver results, helping us to remain ahead of the competition and reinforce our strength in the Midlands. I am delighted to welcome Grant on board because he will bring a high level of professionalism combined with a new set of skills to our expanding team.

“We now employ a dedicated team of 30 personnel here, as I am a firm believer that in-house expertise is imperative to delivering results. As the company continues to expand organically, we are working hard to acquire more land and put up to 2,000 residential plots through the planning process in the next 12 – 18 months.”

Grant Arbuckle
Planning and Development Director