Shropshire landowner creates three new jobs

Rob Paul has joined Bradford Estates as estates director, with responsibility for strategy and overseeing the operations across the portfolio, while Steve Farrow will manage the day-to-day operations of the estates office and wider estates management teams as property director.

Meanwhile, Lizzie Ward has also joined the team, working as PA to Rob and Steve.

The team will be focusing on a host of green credentials – from installing electric vehicle charging points, to the potential of solar panels, to wood-fuel systems. The estates comprise 12,000 acres between Telford and Wolverhampton and are home to numerous long-standing tenant farmers, businesses, leisure businesses, residential properties, commercial units and managed woodlands. It also employs 17 people from the area.

With the new team now in place, managing director Viscount Alexander Newport said he is turning his attention to the future direction of the company and how it can turn its green ambition into a reality.

“We’re delighted to be welcoming Rob, Steve and Lizzie to the team," said Lord Newport. "It speaks volumes that we’ve been able to create new defining roles at a time when daily headlines are unfortunately dominated by bad economic news.

“Creating the roles was a very positive step forward for us at the estates. We have ambitious plans and Rob, Steve and Lizzie’s appointments will allow us to continue to grow the overall business and develop our strategic operations into the future.

“We’re a traditional country business in many ways, but with some very exciting cutting-edge plans for the future, especially ones that enable us to utilise the very latest technology to reduce our overall carbon emissions.

“We are aiming to design a new estate office which is completely carbon neutral, deliver electric cars for our senior management team and roll out electric vehicle charging points on-site and within the wider estates.

“But that’s certainly not it. With Rob, Steve and Lizzie on board we can really start looking to the future for the estates.”

Successful

Both Rob and Steve have both previously been involved in the management of the estates on a part-time basis while they were employed by Shrewsbury-based land agents, Strutt and Parker.

Rob set up the Shrewsbury office land agency team in 2008 as a new venture for the firm. The multi-disciplined business grew rapidly, culminating in a successful pitch to Bradford Estates in 2018.

With 26 years of experience in estate management and estate strategy, he is a fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, a registered valuer and an accredited expert witness.

Rob said: "It has been such a pleasure to work with Bradford Estates over the last two-and-a-half years and this is an incredibly exciting prospect to now be able to focus fully on the opportunities that lie ahead and to be part of the ongoing development of such a dynamic property business.”

Steve has worked on the management of rural estates and property portfolios since the very beginning of his 15-year long career.

He said: “Through my career I have managed estates on behalf of private, traditional landowning families as well as commercial businesses, which offer different objectives and approaches to estate management.

“Joining Bradford Estates now gives me the opportunity to combine my experience and be part of a business which balances the two, respecting its history and tradition whilst also being progressive, innovative and modern, looking to move with the times and keep the business relevant.

“It is not often in rural estate management that such a combination is found so I am extremely pleased to now be part of the team and helping to write the future history of these prestigious estates.”