Intelligent Land Investments

Intelligent Land Investments (ILI) is a land investment company based in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. They are an independent company that works alongside the major housing developers, primarily in Scotland. ILI offers private investors the opportunity to get involved in Land Investment which in the past had been the reserve of landed gentry and housing developers.

ILI secures strategic land sites in Scotland with the aim to sell them on to developers once planning permission has been achieved. They offer private investors the opportunity to get involved at the initial stages and share in the profits once the land has been sold. The practice of investing in land is becoming more popular with the benefit of it being a tangible asset.

History

ILI was formed in 2005 as a private limited company. It secured its first site in Glenboig, North Lanarkshire with shares in a holding company created to own the site sold to private investors. ["Financial Times", July 24th 2006.] ILI’s second site in Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire was secured in 2006. Shares in the first site in Glenboig sold out in 2006. ["Keystone", Issue 30] In early 2007 ILI started to sell shares in a second holding company which owns the second site in Lochwinnoch. In 2007 former Lord Provost of Glasgow, Michael Kelly was appointed a non-executive director of ILI, having previously supported the company in a consultancy role. In June 2007 ILI moved from its original location in Westburn, Cambuslang to new premises in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire.

Background

ILI offers its investors the opportunity to invest in developable land without planning permission. If planning permission is achieved the land is sold to housing developers, the profit being shared among the investors. Terms of the investment are dependent on if and when planning permission is achieved. ["The Scottish Daily Mirror"] ILI work in line with 2007 government policies on the shortage of housing and aim to help solve the affordable housing issues in Scotland.http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/03/20793/53993] Future sites offered are planned to be promoted for eco-friendly housing. As ILI follows a similar model to land banking, they are often categorised with other land banking companies. ["The Scotsman" May 24th 2006]

EcoLand

In 2008 ILI launched its EcoLand initiative. Under this initiative ILI will only sell its land to developers who agree to build at least 40% affordable housing, and the rest environmentally friendly housing. There is currently a shortage of both these types of housing in Scotland. This gives ILI’s investors the opportunity to invest in land as well as help the environment and help the affordable housing shortage. ["The Glasgow Herald", March 2008] . The initiative will take ILI’s site strategy to a higher level than proposed government policy which is currently 25% affordable housing per site. ["The Sunday Express", March 2008]

Directors

Mark Wilson, Managing Director, is from Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Jason Crawford, Finance Director, is from Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, and is also a Finance Director for the Boston Scientific Corporation. Dr. Michael Kelly, Non-Executive Director, is a former Lord Provost of Glasgow.

ee also

* Land banking

References

1. Financial Times, July 24th 2006 http://www.ft.com
2. Keystone, Issue 30 http://www.flagshipmedia.co.uk/keystone.htm
3. The Scottish Daily Mirror http://www.mirror.co.uk
4. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/03/20793/53993
5. The Scotsman May 24th 2006 http://www.scotsman.com
6. The Sunday Herald, February 2008 http://www.sundayherald.com/business/businessnews/display.var.1997042.0.boost_for_affordable_homes.php
7. The Sunday Express, March 2008 http://www.express.co.uk/sunday
8. Property Week, February 2008 "Intelligent's Ethical Stance" http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=530&storycode=3105598

External links

* Intelligent Land Investments