Business Profile
NEWBURY-based developer Rivar has commenced the development of 64 new houses at Pinchington Lane, Newbury, working together with Bloor Homes, which is also based in Newbury.
The development is called Pinchington Grange and the first of the new houses should be ready in the summer of 2010.
Malcolm Bull, the managing director of Rivar, said: “We are pleased to be working with another local developer on this site. Bloor will be taking the lion’s share and this will facilitate the earlier production of the houses and enable Rivar to concentrate on the rest of its programme.”
Rivar has submitted proposals to West Berkshire Council under the Local Development Framework for development in Greenham, which will enable the area to be comprehensively designed to include, together with a number of new houses in separate but linked sites, public open space, parkland and walks. A total of some 100 acres hectares is involved with the open space, pedestrian links and new wildlife habitats taking up about half of the planned area. Pinchington Grange reflects the over-arching plan to create a comprehensive design for Greenham.
Malcolm Bull said: “What we are proposing for Greenham is development that is comprehensive and highly sustainable, having regard to local facilities, and which will afford large areas of land for public access. We wish to redress the piecemeal development that has taken place over the years in Greenham. A comprehensive scheme will give the company the opportunity to ensure that the dwellings are eco friendly in terms of energy consumption, renewable energy and carbon emissions.”
Rivar started in the 1960s as a sand and gravel extraction and processing business owned and run by the Hine family. Mr Bull came into the business in 1989 on the death of the major shareholder. A chartered surveyor, he had previously advised the company and worked with the legendary John Norgate as a main board director with Trencherwood.
“My plan for Rivar was to maximise the residual gravel land for residential and other development. We have specialised in small unique developments of one to 20 homes but have the capacity and expertise to consider larger schemes,” said Mr Bull.
This prudent policy has meant that Rivar has grown slowly but securely, and Rivar has built an enviable reputation during the last 20 years in local and regional residential and commercial development and investment.
The company has stuck to what it knows best, kept standards high and has slowly and steadily made its mark as a trustworthy builder and developer. The company, has, however been involved in landmark schemes in Newbury such as the Tesco superstore, Newbury Hilton, the Motor Trade Park and an extension of Newbury Retail Park. Rivar operates within a 50-mile radius of Newbury.
Over the years, Rivar has been involved in the conversion of numerous barns into residential use and has just completed and sold barn conversions in the Cotswolds, and is currently converting barns in Oxfordshire. “We enjoy this type of work – it is creative, satisfying and attractive architecturally,” said Mr Bull.
The building work for Rivar is carried out by an associated company, Acorn Construction. Acorn also carries out a range of third party work.
Rivar is proud of its local connections and sees great hope in the local economy which is underlined by the development of the important Park Way shopping scheme – one of the few retail schemes of its type to be going ahead in the country currently.
“Park Way is wonderful for the town. It will drive the name of the town up in terms of attractiveness for shoppers and visitors. Newbury is as good as any in terms of its financial viability,” stressed Mr Bull.
And while other builders and developers have been mothballing sites and closing down operations, Rivar has continued to build, a tribute to its common sense approach to business. Rivar hopes to continue to contribute to the ongoing growth of Newbury.
Rivar has retained an interest in sand and gravel through its company Rivar Sand and Gravel, which operates from landscaping centres at Thatcham, Tadley and Windlesham, and offers a wide range of landscaping products.
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