What We Do
British Land is a property investment company based in London and listed on the London Stock Exchange, investing in prime, modern properties
The portfolio is valued at £15.9 billion: the majority is directly owned and managed; the balance is held in joint ventures, partnerships and funds, of which British Land’s share is valued at £2.7 billion. In total, British Land owns or manages real estate valued at £20 billion.
Our business model
Our primary objective is to produce superior sustained and secure long term shareholder returns. We do this by a focus on actively adding value to our real estate through portfolio selection, intense asset management, development, entrepreneurial deal-doing and financing.
Our preferred basic ingredient is prime property in sectors where we have distinctive skills and benefiting from favourable long term supply/demand trends. Property that is in demand from occupiers enjoys better rental growth but also better downside protection, typically enhanced by long leases with secure covenants.
Our key business areas
Our investment approach is to concentrate on the fundamentals of each asset; enduring attraction to occupiers, scarcity value, location and efficiency.
Retail
£9.9bn* Retail Portfolio - 83% Out of Town
Offices
£7.4bn* Office Portfolio - 99% London
Fund Management
Managing £4bn of Third Party Capital
Development
12m+ sq ft of Committed and Prospective Projects
* Proforma for committed developments at external valuers' estimated end value at completion
The portfolio focuses on areas offering attractive risk-adjusted growth prospects. Some 46% is invested in out of town retail properties, including Meadowhall Shopping Centre (one of only six regional centres in the UK), 119 retail warehouses and 97 superstores. A further 41% is invested in Central London offices, and office developments, including Broadgate (the premier City office estate).
Find out more about our principal property investments >
Development programme
British Land’s development programme is based on opportunities created both out of existing investments and from acquisitions. We commit on the basis of pre-lets or anticipated market demand, creating quality assets for the portfolio.
Our carefully timed and customer focused development programme comprises a total of 464,500 square metres (5 million square feet) currently or soon to be under construction, including projects such as The Broadgate Tower & 201 Bishopsgate, Ropemaker, Osnaburgh Street and the Leadenhall Building. When completed, these developments could provide an additional £154 million of rent per annum at current rental levels.
Learn more about our major development projects >
Group structure
The Group employs approximately 190 staff at its head office who are focused on the integrated core disciplines of strategic property investment, management, development and financing. Approximately 550 staff are employed on-site at the Group's properties, principally Meadowhall Shopping Centre, Sheffield and Broadgate Estates, London. The Group outsources the day-to-day operational management for the portfolio and non-core disciplines.
All figures as at 30 September 2007
