Get the data – royal and historic landowners’ housing developments

Prince Charles’s Duchy of Cornwall does not meet affordable housing targets on four developments. (Image Charles via shutterstock.com)

They are five of the UK’s most powerful landowners. Their history is woven into the fabric of Britain. And today they are important housebuilders.

The Crown Estate, the Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster together with the Grosvenor Estate and the Church of England’s Church Commissioners together are behind thousands of homes across the country.

Now for the first time, their recent housebuilding footprint has been comprehensively mapped.

The Bureau requested full records of housing developments undertaken by all five ancient British landowners. All but the Church complied. We then spent four months sifting through planning records, local authority housing policy papers and annual reports produced by the landowners to establish how many developments met local affordable housing targets.

The result revealed that 45% of the developments undertaken by these ancient landowners fail to meet local affordable housing targets. The data shows that just nine of the Crown Estate’s 19 housing schemes comply with recommended levels of affordable housing.

To see all 54 schemes, click here.