Management Profile

We have operated a specialist residential division, dedicated to the bulk purchasing of surplus government and institutional housing stock and have successfully purchased and re-introduced into the private sector 55 former Ministry of Defence and institutional housing sites. Our track record with the Ministry of Defence is well proven.

Having acquired 36 sites since 1979 from the MOD, we were, prior to the acquisition of the privatised MQE by Normura / Annington, the largest and most successful purchasers of ex-Government estates in the UK. We have submitted offers by formal tender, or bid by auction for 60 sites in total, and our success record has exceeded 50% of these disposals. On five separate occasions we have not been the higher tenderer but, due to our proven track record, the MOD have accepted our bids.

Over the past 30 years, the Property services agency  (PSA), Defence Land Agent (DLA) and subsequently the Defence Estates have often consulted with us, and accept our advice on matters relating to site planning and disposals. We have pioneered management agreements of drainage, foul water, surface water drainage, and water services with Anglian Water plc, for unadopted housing estates – which is unique for MOD sites.

Our ex-Married Quarter Estate Management structure, originally devised by one of the UK’s top lawyers, Titmuss Sainer Dechert, has been perfected over a 30 year period and is one of the best available for managed estates. David Wells, a former partner in that firm, pioneered this scheme on his behalf and is now a partner in Beachcroft Wansborough. This firm and Wilkin Chapman Epton Blades of Lincoln now represent us on the acquisition and disposal of these estates and portfolios throughout England and Wales. Campbell Fitzpatrick of Londonderry have acted for us in Northern Ireland.

All  projects  are  thoroughly appraised,   based  upon  the knowledge gained from undertaking 55 projects. Generally, all the sites require a good understanding of the infrastructure, and we have built up a team over a long period, of specialists with sound knowledge of MOD estates. We have a nationwide team of knowledgeable sales agents, specifically relating to MOD housing.

The Major Shareholder is Roger Collins who is a son of an RAF Officer. Having lived in MOD married Quarters from the 1940’s to the 1960’s, Roger has had personal experience of the management of such properties with a detailed knowledge of their individual design and construction.

Roger Collins has also specialised in residential property for 45 years starting in central London with David Rowland’s Fordham Investments. He personally owned and managed over 70 blocks of flats and residential estates throughout the UK and in 1980 acquired four large residential estates opposite the Pentagon, Washington DC. Throughout his career he has specialised in residential acquisitions and disposals which continues to this day

He has also specialised in the purchase, development and refurbishment of large estates of institutional housing, purpose-built blocks of flats, and estates of houses throughout the UK over the past 40 years, involving tens of thousand of units of properties. Extensive estates of former tenanted and vacant National Coal Board housing were acquired throughout the East Midlands in the early 1980’s in such locations as Thurcroft, Dinnington, South Elmsall, and Carlton in Lindrick.

Acting as a pipeline between the public and the private sector, we have received numerous commendations from government departments, local authorities, County Councils and The Services, for the sympathetic and professional manner in which we have privatised these estates.

Although we are a relatively small team, we have managed large businesses successfully and are well versed in financial modelling and control systems. The systems are in place to absorb a much bigger business, maintaining low overheads.

These notes are designed to give a broad insight into our activity within this specialist niche market.