This Land Limited, the Cambridgeshire County Council-owned housing development company, is progressing in line with its 2025-2030 Business Plan while maintaining financial stability, according to an update to be presented to the shareholder sub-committee on 16 October 2025. The report follows up on the July 2025 sub-committee meeting, where councillors scrutinised the company’s business plan in detail, including the financial risks and opportunities associated with its residential development pipeline.
Council Scrutinises Business Plan
At the 24 July 2025 meeting, councillors met with This Land Chair Barbara Richardson, Interim CEO Rob Williams, and advisers from Grant Thornton UK LLP to review the latest business plan. Executive Director of Finance and Resources Michael Hudson reminded members of the extensive due diligence carried out, noting that “the level of detail provided by the company met the council’s requirements and was far greater than considered in some previous years.”
The plan had been scenario-tested on a site-by-site basis, covering costs, valuations, and market assumptions, to ensure deliverability and protect the council’s financial interests.
The Interim CEO highlighted that his team was focused on producing “a low risk business plan focus on deliverability and the maximisation of existing assets in the short term, as well as fulfilling the obligations of the loan agreement.”
He added that the plan aimed to implement “an improved structure of monitoring, reporting and governance across the business to increase and maintain shareholder confidence,” and to set a framework for a strategic review of the Company’s longer-term purpose.
Financial Security and Loan Management
The council has provided This Land with £133 million of funding, of which £13 million has been repaid, leaving £119.8 million in outstanding loans. The Business Plan sets out repayment and interest schedules, with £2 million due in 2026 and a total of £19.1 million in interest to be repaid by 2030.
Officers confirmed that “no further funding from the council was planned, but it was important to bear in mind that extraordinary circumstances such as another pandemic might cause this to be reviewed in the best interests of the company and the shareholder.”
The company’s cash flow and loan security have been stress-tested to account for timing delays. The Executive Director of Finance and Resources noted that the business plan “maintained a positive cash flow with some contingency in the timing of the repayments were a disposal sale to slide over a few months which had been tested by Grant Thornton.” In practical terms, this means that even if sales or development progress slower than expected, the council’s financial exposure remains managed.
Monitoring and Risk Management
During the July meeting, councillors were advised that This Land had identified and assessed the inherent risks in the residential sector. These included market fluctuations, planning delays, and operational challenges.
The Executive Director explained that “when considering the opportunities and risks it was important to draw on the site by site analysis across delivery, market, and optimism bias.” Most sites already had planning consent, with only two requiring further approvals. These sites “did not contribute a significant amount of positive cash flow as a proportion of the overall business plan,” mitigating potential risk to overall financial performance.
The Business Plan also incorporated scenario testing for market volatility. The interim CEO stated that “it was important to plot out best and worse sales rates and values which was achieved by scenario testing,” reflecting the company’s focus on risk-aware financial planning. Around 30-40% of homes on each site were designated as affordable housing, typically pre-sold to registered providers, reducing exposure to market downturns.
Site-Specific Financial Risks and Opportunities
The report outlines both risks and opportunities at individual development sites. Soham Eastern Gateway, highlighted in the October 2025 update, remains a “key risk to manage,” with officers monitoring the finalisation of s106 Agreements and exploring options for site progression.
Similarly, sales of land parcels at Horningsea, Malta Road, Brampton, and Soham Northern Gateway Plot C require council approval for pre-emptions, overages, and legal charges to enable transactions. These approvals, delegated to the Section 151 officer, are designed to ensure that financial and legal risks are managed before development or sales proceed.
The July sub-committee minutes emphasised that This Land’s existing asset base is central to risk management. The interim CEO noted that “a lot of decisions regarding sale or development of the company’s assets had already been made before I joined,” providing headroom to focus on more profitable sites. He added that the team was now aligned with the shareholder, improving decision-making and responsiveness to market interest.
Governance and Oversight as Financial Safeguards
Robust governance is a critical mechanism for managing financial risk. The Sub-Committee noted the appointment of three new board members in June 2025 and emphasised that the board’s effectiveness review, due early in 2026, would ensure oversight remains strong. The July minutes stated that the board had “focused on good governance, the shareholder’s objectives in aligning the business plan with the council’s ambitions, delivering performance management and accountability, and the relationship with the shareholder.”
The reappointment of experienced Board member Wendy Colgrave for 12 months, as proposed in the October update, reinforces financial and commercial oversight. Colgrave’s background as a Chartered Accountant and former Group Finance Director ensures continuity in monitoring financial performance and safeguarding the council’s loan.
Market Context and Strategic Positioning
The July meeting highlighted that the residential market carries inherent risk, particularly given the potential for economic downturns. Hudson noted that “the wider market had risks and was significantly exposed to an economic downturn. Attention was drawn to the company’s net cashflows which showed that only 25% came from the sale of properties with the remainder relating to land sales.” This diversified revenue mix helps mitigate exposure to housing market fluctuations.
Cambridgeshire County Council-owned developer sets out path to repay taxpayer investment
The report also emphasised that This Land’s strong position in the land market, bolstered by pre-existing planning consents and partnerships with registered providers, positions the company to benefit from expected growth in residential development over the coming year.
As noted by the Executive Director, “It was important to get the business plan right now so the company was in the position to take advantage of the growing residential market in twelve months’ time.”
Quarterly Monitoring and Future Oversight
The July 2025 Sub-Committee resolved to receive quarterly updates from This Land, marking a new level of scrutiny that had not previously occurred. These updates, including the October 2025 report, provide councillors with the ability to track performance against financial benchmarks, monitor risks, and assess loan security in real time. Hudson stated that the company’s appraisals “had their own consideration of risk with contingency sums built in, which was a first level protection against a change in the market,” and emphasized that cash flow management would remain a key focus.
Conclusion
The combination of scenario-tested financial planning, site-by-site risk analysis, and strong governance ensures that This Land Limited is operating within the parameters of its approved Business Plan while protecting the council’s substantial investment. As the report notes, “the Business Plan meets the requirements laid out under the Shareholder Agreement and provides a cashflow that secures the company’s solvency and sees £59.901 million of loan secured.”
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