When Hewdon started, we mainly worked on regeneration in declining industrial areas like Teesside,   Cornwall and South Wales.   Then we became heavily involved in launching Urban Regeneration Companies - a new form of regeneration vehicle, publicly-funded, but with a public/private board  – working mainly in city centres. Nigel Smith acted as interim Chief Executive for three URCs - Leicester, Swindon and Camborne, Redruth and Pool.   We also worked with Roger Tym & Partners on the Hull URC masterplan, provided business plans and helped recruit staff at several other URCs.

After 2003, the government's Sustainable Communities Plan focused on housing provision, especially in London, South East and East of England. We helped government define a new role for English Partnerships and set up Kent Thameside Delivery Board.   We helped obtain formal approval for URCs at Southend, Peterborough, and Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth.  

Since then, we have helped the East of England Development Agency and local authorities set up local delivery vehicles in areas with high levels of planned housing growth and bid for recognition and funding from central government.   We have also contributed to the debate over taxation and infrastructure funding, on behalf the South East of England Regional Assembly.

Since we started, we have worked on European regional and state aids policy for the government, the RICS, BURA and the London Development Agency.

We have also kept an interest in transport infrastructure, working on underground interchanges for the Highways Agency, the property impact of Crossrail and a masterplan for Teesside International Airport. On a smaller scale, but just as satisfying, on Christmas Day 2005, a new railway bridge was craned into place at Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire, a project first put forward in the 1920s. We advised the local authorities in negotiations with the landowners and Network Rail.

All our work involves land, people and money - but not necessarily in that order of importance