Who We Are
ANDY MACDONALD
Managing Director
Andy has an established track record with over 30 years in the property development industry in both delivery of major development projects and managing commercial development businesses.
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He gained qualifications from Loughborough University, Penn State University and Cambridge University holding a masters degree in Land Economy before starting a career in surveying and property development. A qualified Chartered Surveyor, Andy worked in Edinburgh at Montagu Evans before becoming a Development Director at Stannifer Developments where he established himself as a specialist in major retail led regeneration delivering significant town and city centre retail development projects such as Union Square, Aberdeen and The Brewery Romford.
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Andy has led regeneration projects throughout the UK and delivered major town and city centre retail, commercial and mixed use developments. With the purchase by Multiplex of Stannifer Developments in 2004, he became their head of regeneration and latterly Managing Director of Multiplex Developments and led one of the UKs largest regeneration projects in Brent Cross Cricklewood, which secured a planning consent for 14 million square feet in 2010. Leading such major projects not only requires an in depth knowledge and experience of the mixed use sector but also the ability to manage high level relationships between stakeholders. Andy has worked widely with both private and public sector partners in delivery of development projects within successful joint venture partnerships.
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Andy was latterly Head of Development at Stockland, one of Australia’s largest diversified property groups and a top 50 ASX company, which he joined in 2008 to manage their UK property development business. Their UK development portfolio extended to 2.5m sqft of developable space across all property sectors including the proposed regeneration of Harlow Town Centre.
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Andy is Managing Director of Swanvale Developments and is also an ex-Scotland and Barbarians rugby International. He is also co-founder of the Duchenne DashMax cycle event which since 2016 has raised over £1M for Duchenne Muscular dystrophy.
SIMON PETERS
Property Consultant
Simon Peters is a chartered surveyor with 40 years of experience in commercial property development and investment. He has a highly successful track record in regeneration and delivery of industrial, office and strategic development schemes across the North of England and the Midlands.
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After graduation from Heriot-Watt University he worked in Scotland for Ryden and Hillier Parker (CBRE) in a variety of consultancy roles. For the last 30 years he has worked in regeneration and development including 20 years for Langtree / Network Space delivering a wide range of commercial, industrial and warehouse parks and strategic residential developments. Simon also worked for 5 years for Nottingham City Council as Head of Estates and Investment where he worked closely with both Nottingham Trent and Nottingham Universities, and the police and fire authorities on a wide range of property matters.
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Simon has a strong track record of working closely with local authorities and government bodies on planning and development, sourcing public sector funding and delivering partnership schemes. Between 2000-2009 Simon was development and managing director of a highly successful public / private JV partnership between Langtree and English Partnerships which delivered workspace schemes totalling 750,000 sq ft across the former English coalfield regions providing 350 workspace units for SMEs and start-up businesses.
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Simon has very considerable experience of delivering difficult and complex regeneration and development schemes and creating high quality sustainable property investments.
CS2
Swanvale’s core team is supplemented on a project by project basis by designated professionals from CS2, the nationwide firm of Chartered Surveyors. Team members currently working with Swanvale Developments are:
SIMON SKINNER
Property Consultant
Simon is a Director for CS2 and operates from CS2’s Northampton office and boasts over twenty years’ experience in the construction industry.
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He is a commercially minded Project and Cost Manager with a drive for project delivery. He has a diverse portfolio of industry sector project experience, including a complete range in size and complexity for new build, fit out and refurbishments.
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Outside of work Simon enjoys spending time with his kids, DIY extensions and refurbishments, cycling, snowboarding and occasionally playing but more frequently watching rugby in all forms and at all levels.
RHYS WILLIAMS
Property Consultant
Rhys recently joined the team as a full-time Director, having been contracted to CS2 for the past 3 years while being self-employed. Rhys will be pushing forward the PM & EA/QS service provision for CS2 across the UK.
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Rhys has nearly 30 years’ experience in the commercial development sector in various forms including offices (refurbishment & new build), warehousing, retail, leisure, residential and private care homes. Also, extensive experience with public sector Clients and Housing Associations, including project work within council buildings, leisure centres, schools, infrastructure, conference centres, medical centres and affordable homes.
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With a core Cost Management background, his experience has been extended into full Project Management, Employer’s Agent and Project Monitoring duties, managing a team and being responsible for delivery of some major UK and International projects.
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Rhys has a developed skill for integrating the project team’s decision making during the design and procurement process to ensure the Client’s key requirements are met and exceeded.
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Significant projects during his career to date include;
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EA & QS on a £65m 5 year re-development of the YMCA site into 254nr BTR apartments for Grainger Plc and new YMCA campus building including resident apartments, café, office space and lettable commercial spaces.
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PM & QS on a fast track high value building refurbishment and Cat B fit out of the 1st floor for Reed Recruitment. CS2 were brought in by Reed following cost and programme issues. CS2 formulated an aggressive procurement and build programme to meet Reed’s requirements whilst reviewing the historic costs to map out an achievable project budget.
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Providing Procurement/Project Management and Cost Management services to the University of Warwick Estates team for a framework fast track programme of refurbishment of 13 residences comprising a total of 97 student kitchens and 1,057 bedrooms, a £10m investment in the Warwick campus. The construction work being split into four summer holiday periods with the programme and budget fixed.
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Providing a one-stop Development Management service to Gracewell healthcare, from site finding, due diligence and construction services. Management of four projects through acquisition and onto site construction. These were all based in the south of England (£20m).
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Derby Civic office, Derby City Council – Carrying out EA/QS service on the refurbishment and extension of the existing council offices to provide state of the art offices, feature atrium and council chamber (£35m).
Freestyle Park, Moscow – $650,000,000 project incorporating the world’s largest indoor ski park, aqua dome, 300 bed hotel, 300 residential apartments, conference hall, concert hall, science museum, 40,000m2 retail/F&B, multiplex cinema, spa resort. The role included Cost and Project Management.
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Redevelopment of Essex County Cricket Club (MCD developer) – £70m project comprising 400 residential apartments, retail space, 300 space MSCP, new cricket seating for 7,000, Cricket pavilion and indoor cricket school. Acting as Employer’s Agent and key Client contact.
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Project Surveyor on an £8m high-class residential development (Dorset Mews) in Belgravia for Grosvenor Developments.
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Project Surveyor and Employer’s Agent on Bevis Marks, London EC3 – Office refurbishment and fit out for a private client, contract value £5.5m.
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Leadenhall Street – Office Refurbishment for Lloyds Register of Shipping, Contract value £5.7m
Based on site to monitor a prime cost contract for a high-class residential development in Kensington, London (£20m).
RICHARD BREESE
Finance Director
Following an early career in banking with Barclays Bank, Richard joined Richmond based chartered accountants Meeson Makinson and subsequently London based Deloitte Haskins and Sells, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 1985.  He is also an Associate of the Institute of Bankers.
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Since qualifying Richard has spent 35 years in the property sector, initially joining the head office team of the media group ACC, which owned Bentray Properties and Stoll Moss Theatres.  Richard uniquely was retained through two corporate takeovers and was instrumental in setting up the European property division for the new Australian owners, which included the development of a £250 million five star hotel (now the Lanesborough Hotel) and office development at the St George’s Hospital site, Hyde Park Corner and the development of a centro ingrosso in the outskirts of Rome.
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Richard subsequently joined Fairbriar plc where he took a key role in restructuring the group, enabling it to become the first company to regain its public listing.  Then in 1991 Richard joined PSIT plc, a FTSE 350 quoted property group, becoming Finance Director until the group was taken over in 1997.  During this period PSIT recorded impressive asset growth to £350 million, consistently being placed top in the sector in respect of compound growth in earnings, dividends and profits.  Whilst at PSIT Richard also found time to take an MBA, gaining a distinction.
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In 1998 Richard joined Stannifer Group Holdings, a Stratford upon Avon based commercial property development and investment group, which achieved net asset growth from £15m to £100m during the period to 2005, when it was acquired ultimately by Multiplex Developments.  From 2006 to 2009 Richard became Finance Director of Catesby Property Group, another Stratford based commercial property group before joining three of his former Stannifer colleagues at Total Retail Concepts in 2010.
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Richard is Finance Director of Swanvale Developments Limited and has been a Trustee of the East Sheen Chengannur Trust since 1983.  He is also one if the UK’s leading boardgame designers.
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Together with Andy and Brian, in 2011 Richard formed Swanvale Developments. Since that date, as Finance Director, Swanvale have secured in excess of 1.5 million ft2 of planning consents, delivered over £20 million of critical infrastructure, managed and delivered in excess of 250,000 sqft of research and development and commercial space, including a training college. In addition Swanvale have been involved in Project Managing the new Chimpanzee enclosure at Twycross Zoo, adding to the diverse experience of the team.