Breathing New Life Into Old Walls: Wayne Douglas (City & Country)

This Week In Property Podcast

https://www.thisweekinproperty.tv/wayne-douglas/

In today's episode, we site down with Wayne Douglas, Managing Director of City & Country, for a conversation that blends heritage, housing, and hope for the UK property industry.

From humble beginnings shadowing his carpenter father, Wayne's path into housebuilding took a different route; through numbers and finance. But it's clear that passion for quality construction runs deep. He shares how he joined City & Country nearly two decades ago when it was a 40-person firm turning over £10 million. Today, the company turns over almost £100 million and has carved out a niche preserving and repurposing Britain's historic buildings.

What sets City & Country apart? Their commitment to quality, placemaking, and architectural integrity. Wayne talks about how converting heritage buildings - once used by councils, police, or the MOD - into desirable homes is not just a business model, but a way of safeguarding national identity. It's also about practicality: multiple residential units ensure service charges are sustainable and buildings are maintained to a high standard.

But the conversation isn't all rosy nostalgia. Wayne speaks candidly about the challenges facing smaller developers: planning delays, rising finance costs, regulation burdens, and the collapse of SME builders. He makes a compelling case for greater government support, particularly in the form of planning certainty and more nuanced schemes beyond just first-time buyers. Downsizers and upsizers, he argues, need support too if the housing market is to move again.

This is a must-listen for anyone in property development or housing policy. Wayne brings a grounded, strategic view of what it really takes to get Britain building again; without sacrificing quality or history.

🔗 Check the show notes for links to City & Country's developments and heritage projects, including their ambitious conversions of former jails in Gloucester, Dorchester, and Somerset.

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https://www.thisweekinproperty.tv/wayne-douglas/