Since its inception in October 2023, the strategic land and planning business Nightingale Land has successfully acquired six sites, with a further two offers accepted.
The venture, spearheaded by David Gladman with Development Director John Chorlton, focuses on acquiring freehold farmland with residential potential. Gladman, a seasoned entrepreneur, previously built a market-leading business in the same sector, which reached a valuation of £250 million within a decade. This new initiative offers a streamlined alternative to option and promotion agreements, typically bogged down by long planning processes and potential rejections.
Gladman stated, ‘We provide an alternative to option and promotion agreements which go through lengthy and bureaucratic planning processes, and can often see planning applications refused. Nightingale buying freehold farmland gives the landowners a lifestyle change immediately. The risk of ‘if and when’ the land might get planning is then totally our problem, so the landowner can move on from being asset rich but cash poor and enjoy the trappings that wealth can bring to them and often their children – deposits to buy a house, holiday homes or even retire.’
The model, which offers landowners multiple times the agricultural value of their land, has rapidly gained traction. Properties in the Nightingale Land portfolio range from Cheshire to Dorset, demonstrating its growing footprint. The latest acquisition in Great Shelford, near Cambridge, was completed within 10 days of the offer acceptance. Chorlton explained, ‘Nightingale Land provides the certainty to landowners that they will receive payment within a matter of weeks. We have an in-house expert property lawyer and complete within four weeks on acceptance of our offer.’
Looking ahead, the business aims to expand its portfolio to 30 sites nationwide, including acquisitions of properties with existing option and promotion agreements. Gladman shared his personal motivation, ‘I think some people expected me to retire after the sale of my last business, but total retirement just isn’t for me. I now enjoy more family holidays and plenty of time with my eight lovely grandchildren, but I also still need to be part of a team creating a successful property business. I enjoy the mental stimulation, teamwork, the buzz from success and the drive to achieve.’
In its first year, Nightingale Land has significantly disrupted the strategic land and planning market by providing landowners with immediate financial benefits and a straightforward acquisition process. With continued expansion plans, the venture illustrates David Gladman’s enduring passion for the industry and commitment to innovative business models.