During the 1980s it was decided to diversify The Crown Estate’s commercial portfolio so that it was not completely dependent upon the performance of its historic holdings in central London. Our regional properties now comprise over 20% of the capital value of The Crown Estate’s urban commercial portfolio.

Our regional investments are spread diversely both in terms of geography and by property sector. They include retail parks in Leeds, Altrincham and Slough, offices in Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh, business parks in Cambridge and Guildford, numerous industrial properties and an important shopping centre in Worcester.

The Crown Estate’s commitment to environmental sustainability is reflected in a number of ongoing initiatives on the regional portfolio. These include recent refurbishments of buildings which have been rated by BREEAM* as ‘Very Good’, or ‘Excellent’ as well as exploring renewable energy options at its business parks and minimising energy consumption within those parts under our direct control.

Our regional portfolio has grown in recent years through the acquisition of new investments such as retail parks (Slough and Leeds), distribution warehouses (Milton Keynes) and industrial estates (Oxford, Wimbledon, Basildon, etc). We are also seeking to expand through development within the existing portfolio such as schemes in Gatwick and Taunton.

*BREEAM is the UK’s most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings.