Case Studies

Development funding turns the wheels of cycling accommodation enterprise

Jane Fowler had done almost all the hard work; she’d navigated the planning application process and achieved consent to develop a house and specialist accommodation for cyclists in open countryside. All she needed to complete her project was funding. Unfortunately, Jane could not find a lender that would help her. The proposal didn’t fit most lenders’ policies The proposal had several issues that would not appeal to lenders: The proposed building was timber frame and timber clad and was therefore 'non-standard construction' which few lenders favour.

Farm building conversion

Jane Schwier was embarking on a huge project of converting farm buildings into five holiday lets and a rental property. From the very beginning of the project, she had to ensure that she had a strong team on board to help her with the planning, development and crucially, the finance. Jane Schwier owns 200-acre Woodside Green Farm, near Bishops Stortford. After deciding to sell her herd of 160 Holstein cows, she looked for another project. Her husband, Andrew and his brother Robert were farming 1,170 acres of predominantly arable land as a separate business, Schwier Farms Ltd.

Refusal at the bank, cleared at final attempt when presented by R&BS