What Chelverton Developments does

Chelverton Developments is a UK-based specialist property development company headquartered in Bristol, founded in 1998 by Simon Morgan and Paddy Fox, who have worked together for over 30 years since graduating from Oxford Polytechnic. The company focuses on food and non-food retail development, with a portfolio spanning more than 100,000 sq m of completed retail space across England and Wales, including schemes for Tesco, Waitrose, Asda, Marks and Spencer, B&Q, Morrisons, M&S Foodhall, and Premier Inn. Its service offering covers end-to-end development management: site identification and acquisition, design feasibility, planning and highways consultation, tenant negotiation, legal coordination, project delivery, and either forward-sale to pension funds or retention through an investment arm.

The business operates through three commercial structures: outright site purchase, sale and leaseback with profit share, and joint ventures. The principal vehicle for larger schemes is the 'Chelverton Deeley Freed' joint venture with Deeley Freed Estates, which has delivered town-centre and mixed-use regeneration projects including Chipping Sodbury (Waitrose and quarry void fill), Aberystwyth (Tesco and M&S anchors), Bridgwater, Bath, Newport, and Hereford. Chelverton also acts as a development manager for institutional investors such as LaSalle Investment Management, and competes for local authority OJEU tenders, as evidenced by its selection by Ceredigion CC and West Somerset District Council.

Chelverton is differentiated by its willingness to invest its own time and capital to secure planning consent on highly complex sites — including contaminated land, SSSIs, conservation areas, and former quarry voids — before securing retailer commitments. Pricing and project economics are negotiated on a project-by-project basis and are not publicly disclosed. The firm is privately owned by its two co-founders with no institutional investment, no parent company, and a stated headcount of two principals, making it a small owner-operated specialist rather than a scaled platform.

Name

Chelverton Developments

Legal name

Chelverton Developments

Website

https://chelvertondevelopments.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Chelverton Developments is a UK-based specialist property development and investment firm that delivers end-to-end development management services — from planning and site acquisition through to completion — for major retailers, landowners, local authorities, and institutional investors across England and Wales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Real Estate Development

NAICS

Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622), Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), Land Subdivision (2372)

SIC

Operative Builders (1531), General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction Management (Agency/Owner’s Rep) (IMAFAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Retail & Mixed-Use Commercial Construction (IMAFACAB)

Keywords

• Retail property development
• Development management services
• Commercial real estate
• Mixed-use development
• Land development planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Development Management Services: CDL provides full Development Management service including negotiation and delivery of Land Acquisition, 3rd Party negotiations, design feasibility studies coupled with financial evaluations, planning and highways consultation, tenant negotiation and legals, project coordination and delivery of the development programme. They work on behalf of landowners or retailers from green field site through to completed development.
2. Joint Venture Development: The company enters into joint ventures with landowners and retail occupiers, investing their own time and money to obtain planning consent and develop properties. They share profits and risks with partners on complex development projects.
3. Site Acquisition and Development: Chelverton can proceed via outright site purchase, sale and leaseback with profit share, or a combination of approaches. They develop properties and either sell completed investments (forward sold to pension funds or retailers) or retain ownership through their investment arm.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Chelverton Developments is a specialist UK property development company that progresses retail and mixed-use schemes by investing time and capital to obtain planning consent and deliver completed developments. The company provides full development management services — from land acquisition, design feasibility and planning consultation through to tenant negotiation, project coordination and delivery — working on behalf of landowners, major retail occupiers, and local authorities via outright purchase, sale-and-leaseback with profit share, joint venture, or combined structures.

Product overview

Chelverton Developments is a specialist property development company with an investment arm, offering a comprehensive suite of development services. The company operates primarily through its Chelverton Deeley Freed joint venture with Deeley Freed Estates, providing end-to-end development management from site acquisition through to project completion. Their core offerings include Foodstore Schemes (developing stores for Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, Safeway, Morrisons), Non-Foodstore Schemes (bulky goods retail for B&Q, Currys, Carpetright, Halfords), Mixed-Use Development (urban regeneration combining retail and residential), and Residential Development (housing and extra care facilities). The company also provides standalone Development Management Services to landowners and retailers, working flexibly through various commercial arrangements including outright purchase, sale and leaseback, joint ventures, or profit-sharing arrangements. With over 25 years of experience, they have created significantly more than 100,000s sq m of food store and non-food retailing space.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Chelverton Deeley Freed: Joint venture with Deeley Freed Estates for property development projects including town centre schemes, retail parks, and mixed-use developments.

Products and services

• Development Management Services Full-service development management for landowners and retail occupiers, covering land acquisition, third-party negotiations, design feasibility studies, financial evaluations, planning and highways consultation, tenant negotiation and legals, and project coordination through to completed development.
• Foodstore Schemes Development of food retail stores for major UK supermarket operators including Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, Safeway, and Morrisons, covering site identification, planning consent, and construction delivery.
• Non-Foodstore Schemes Development of bulky goods and unrestricted non-food retail units for retailers such as B&Q, Currys, Carpetright, and Halfords, including DIY stores, large-format retail and leisure units.
• Mixed-Use Development Comprehensive urban regeneration projects combining retail, residential and commercial elements, often including infrastructure improvements, town centre enhancements, and integration with public realm.
• Residential Development Housing development integrated into mixed-use schemes, including extra care facilities, town houses, and apartments delivered alongside retail and commercial elements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Created significantly more than 100,000's sq mts of food store and non food retailing space
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Deeley Freed EstatescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Chelverton and Deeley Freed Estates formed a joint venture called 'Chelverton Deeley Freed' for multiple development projects including Chipping Sodbury (Waitrose, housing, car park), Aberystwyth town centre (Tesco, M&S), Bath (Argos), Brynmawr (Asda), Hereford, Highbridge, Minehead, Newport B&Q, Portland, Risca, and Shirebrook. This partnership has delivered over 125,000 sq ft of development per major scheme.
• LaSalle Investment ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDL (Chelverton Developments) was appointed by LaSalle Investment Management to enhance the existing Bridgwater Retail Park, acquire an adjacent 4.7-acre development site, promote merging of the retail park with adjoining site, and negotiate with third parties including Sainsbury for highway improvements.
• HansonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHanson owned the existing quarry complex in Chipping Sodbury that was redeveloped. Chelverton worked with Hanson as part of their comprehensive redevelopment of part of Hanson's quarry for the Waitrose Foodstore development.
• Welsh Development Agency (WDA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChelverton worked with the Welsh Development Agency and Brynmawr County Borough Council for the major urban regeneration project on the former Dunlop Semtex factory site, developing an Asda store and additional retail space.
• Ceredigion District Council / Ceredigion CCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChelverton Deeley Freed was selected by Ceredigion CC following an extensive OJEU exercise to develop the Aberystwyth town centre scheme comprising Tesco and M&S stores (11,650 sq m). This represents a formal competitive tender process for public sector development.
• West Somerset District CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChelverton Deeley Freed was selected at competition by West Somerset District Council to obtain planning consent and promote a new edge of centre foodstore for Minehead whilst maximising revenue for the Council on a site within their ownership.
• Watkin JonesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSurplus land from the Bath Argos scheme was acquired by the Chelverton/Deeley Freed SPV. Planning consent was secured for a residential scheme comprising flats and town houses, and the site was sold to student accommodation developer Watkin Jones.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Land Securities (Landsec): UK-listed major commercial and mixed-use property developer and investor; comparable retail and regeneration activity at significantly greater scale and capital base than Chelverton.
• British Land: Large UK-listed property company focused on retail-led and campus development; comparable to Chelverton in retail tenant relationships but operates a permanent REIT-style investment model rather than forward-sale developer economics.
• Hammerson plc: Major UK-listed retail and mixed-use property developer and operator (owner of shopping centres including Cabot Circus in Bristol); overlaps with Chelverton on retail-led development but at much larger scale and with permanent investment platform.

Direct peers

• Deeley Freed Estates: Long-standing JV partner of Chelverton Developments under the 'Chelverton Deeley Freed' brand; UK-based property developer active in commercial, retail and mixed-use schemes with directly comparable deal flow and regional footprint.
• Helical plc: UK smaller-cap property developer specialising in mixed-use and commercial schemes; comparable in size, deal structure and project-based revenue model to Chelverton Developments.
• Clowes Developments: Privately-held UK property development company active in residential, commercial and mixed-use schemes; comparable owner-operated model and project-by-project development approach.
• Palace Capital plc: UK-listed smaller-cap property company with development and investment activities in regional office, retail and residential assets; comparable in deal scale and regional UK focus.
• Harworth Group plc: UK-listed brownfield regeneration specialist focused on complex former industrial, mining and quarry sites; directly comparable to Chelverton's Chipping Sodbury quarry-fill capability and contaminated-site track record.

Others

• LaSalle Investment Management: Global real estate investment manager that appointed Chelverton Deeley Freed to manage the Bridgwater Retail Park enhancement; relevant as a capital partner comparable to the forward-sale buyers in Chelverton's development model.
• Stanhope plc: UK-focused commercial property developer and investment manager; comparable as a counterparty in Chelverton's forward-sale capital-recycling model (Stanhope Pension Trust acquired Chelverton's Tesco Risca investment).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chelverton-developments-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chelverton Developments