Hargreaves repositions land business to stand alone
Publicly listed Hargreaves Services will operate its strategic land division as a separate entity with its own newly appointed senior management team.
Steve McBurney becomes managing director of the land business, reporting to the group chief financial officer, having joined Hargreaves as a director in August 2024.
McBurney will be responsible for Hargreaves Strategic Land’s operations, risk management, performance and growth strategy in line with group strategy.
Craig Woolmer, who also joined Hargreaves in 2024, becomes head of strategic land in the North. Rob Moore, who joined earlier this year, becomes head of strategic land central, covering the Midlands and the South.
Hargreaves was already well known as a strategic land promoter, putting greenfield sites through the planning system in partnership with private landowners to unlock value by bringing forward development.
Steve McBurney said: “This is an exciting time for Hargreaves Strategic Land. Since we established the portfolio in 2022, we have developed a strong reputation for successfully unlocking strategic land sites and creating value for our landowners, developers and local communities. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far and excited about our next chapter.”
The group is headquartered in Newcastle with offices in Barnsley, Leeds and Glasgow.
Stephen Craigen, group CFO, said: “The group’s financial strength and continued long-term support mean the business is well placed to continue offering a competitive and high-quality strategic land promotion service to our landowner clients. We look forward to Steve and the team growing the business further.”
Hargreaves Services has interests in logistics, mineral trading and earthmoving, as well as direct development. The group reported revenue of £351.4m and pre-tax profit of £40.3m for the year to June 2026.
Shares in the group were unchanged at 884p, valuing it at around £270m.
