Specialists in
land, planning and development
We invest in creating the homes of the future
Reimagining places for people to thrive.
This is our purpose and it’s at the heart of everything we do.
It drives our desire to create high-quality, truly sustainable places where people want to live. It drives our ambition to meet the urgent need for new housing across the South, West, Midlands and Home Counties. And it drives the importance we place on stewardship, and creating an even greater positive impact.
We’re committed to inspiring better ways of creating the homes, places and communities of tomorrow, meeting real local need and delivering lasting value through collaboration and partnership with others.
What’s behind our track record of success:
Our teams are amongst the most experienced and successful in the sector. Our land team focus on securing the best, most suitable sites, whilst our Portfolio team, with their depth of planning knowledge, navigate the complexities of the planning system to consistently deliver positive outcomes.
Our working practices embrace agility and innovative thinking, supported by financial strength as part of Wates Group. It’s an approach with proven, award-winning results, including a consistently high planning success rate with multiple planning appeal wins.
We create the right high-quality team for each project, collaborating and partnering with some of the best external experts and specialists to make sure we get our scheme approved. We take the best – not the easiest – approach for each site.
Focused on delivering successful exits quickly and smoothly, post-consent our dedicated Disposals & Acquisitions team ensures each site achieves the best value for landowners, drawing on a combination of specialist knowledge, extensive experience, industry connections and deep understanding of the market.
Why choose Wates Developments
Purpose-led business:
Committed to leaving a lasting legacy, we’re doing things differently – inspiring better ways of creating the places and communities of tomorrow.
Fourth-generation, family-owned:
As a family-owned business we operate with strong values and ethos, strong financial resilience, and have a reputation for delivering what we promise.
97% Planning Success:
We’ve successfully navigated the complexities of the planning system for many years, achieving a consistently high 97% planning success rate and multiple appeal wins.
Trusted Partner:
Through close collaboration with multiple stakeholders, including landowners, local authorities and communities, we secure the best results for people and planet.
Helping nature to thrive:
With an in-house team dedicated to implementing our sector-first Sustainability Strategy, we’re committed to being the UK’s leading sustainable strategic land promoter.
Successful, Expert Teams:
Our committed, knowledgeable teams are some of the most experienced and successful in the sector, with dedicated experts at every stage of the process.
Breadth of capacity: Delivering schemes from small to large
From acting as Principal Developer on large-scale mixed-use schemes with over 1,500 homes and the infrastructure to support them, to developing smaller schemes on 10 acres, our 18+ years as strategic land promoters gives us a depth of skill, experience and expertise that is hard to match.
Wates Developments is part of Wates Land and Development division, which includes Wates Commercial & Logistics and Wates Wildscape. The variety and scope of the schemes we work on is wide, but all lead to the same outcome: creating value for our landowners, the communities where we work, the environment and Wates.
“Our exceptional track record of success in land and planning reflects the agility, dedication and collective strength of our people and partners, who continue to excel in a rapidly evolving planning environment.
The breadth and scope of our development proposition have increased markedly over the years, and now spans residential, commercial and nature‑led opportunities. We’re proud of the trust that landowners place in our deep expertise, strong values, collaborative approach and unrivalled success in securing planning consents.
Being a family‑owned, internally‑funded business enables us to move quickly, as well as to prioritise long‑term value and legacy, and are proud of our commitment to reimaging places for people to thrive”.
Partnering with house builders
Wates Developments partners with leading house builders to create both homes that sell and communities that thrive. Through close collaboration as part of House Builder Joint Ventures, (HBJV’s), we’ve developed some of the best sites in southern England and beyond.
Built on mutual respect and trust, our HBJV’s bring together different skill sets and economies of scale. We always select residential development partners who share our values and are equally committed to placemaking, quality, health and safety, customer satisfaction, the environment and creating social value.
We understand the crucial balance between realising the value of land and supporting the creation of sustainable communities. We maintain a long-term interest in the land we promote and develop, remaining committed to achieving the best outcomes for landowners and local communities at every stage.
Landowners benefit from the live, up-to-date insights we gain into the housing market through our HBJV partnerships, which help us to ensure our planning solutions are always market-orientated.
Unlocking land value
Stocks Farm, Bramley
Set in a prime location in Bramley, this inclusive and sustainable scheme will be a fantastic place to live. Close to public transport, doctors and schools, and within commuting distance of London
Land
Land south of Green Lane, Chesterton
Landscaped-led, exemplar net zero carbon ready scheme: Meeting the needs of Chesterton
Land
Friday Street Farm, Langney
New homes for Eastbourne and Wealden: Creating a sustainable and inclusive community
Land
Land west of Windsor
LPA: Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead (RBWM). Size: 50 acres. New Homes: 455 (180 a ordable). Biodiversity Net Gain: 30.69%
Land
Land south of South Road Wivelsfield Green
Wivelsfield Green is a sustainable development of 45 new homes, (including 40% affordable), in Lewes – a thriving part of East Sussex, where there is chronic shortfall in housing land supply.
LandMeet our team of experts
Never an afterthought: Helping nature to thrive
“As strategic land promoters, we occupy a unique position at the very start of the development process. We’re the first to look at a site, to see its bare bones, and envision how to future-proof it. That’s an incredible responsibility and one we take seriously. We were the first in our sector to launch a Sustainability Strategy, in line with our ambition to be the leading sustainable strategic land promoter. It acts as our roadmap, and includes a Placemaking and Inclusion framework to support the creation of sustainable places today, for a better tomorrow.
The immense challenge of climate change is well understood at Wates, and we’re working with our partners to address critical environmental issues through better planning and design. We recognise our role as being stewards of a place, and we have an opportunity to make decisions today that will endure and serve future generations. We grab that opportunity with both hands and our hearts.”
Our partnerships
We are proud to partner with Plunkett UK, a national charity helping rural communities across the UK to set up and run community‑owned businesses – from shops and pubs to woodlands, farms and fisheries.
Plunkett UK’s mission is to create innovative, impactful and inclusive spaces that benefit everyone who lives and works there.
Reimagining places for people to thrive.
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