Network Rail Property’s managing director, David Biggs, is to leave the organisation after 23 years, amid a wider reshuffle aimed at placing more focus on the regions.
Biggs (pictured) joined Network Rail in 1997, and was promoted in 2009 to lead the property division. He became managing director when it relaunched as Network Rail Property in 2016.
Over the past decade, Biggs has overseen the development of the commercial business and £1.4bn Arches portfolio sale to Blackstone and Telereal Trillium, the delivery of major station upgrades, such as Birmingham New Street, and the unlocking of land for more than 10,000 new homes.
His final day will be Friday 14 August and he will officially leave the company on 31 August. Network Rail Property development director Stuart Kirkwood will lead the division until its property function is devolved on 14 September.
From this date, it will move to a regional-based model, in line with the larger Network Rail divisions, focusing on five key areas: Eastern, North West & Central, Scotland, Southern and Wales & Western.
The new decentralised model will be led by five regional property directors responsible for income, sales, acquisitions, planning and asset management, reporting to the regional finance directors.
NRP is in the process of recruiting the group property director who will coordinate national matters including policy and procedures, workplace management and finance with the regional property directors. This role will report to Network Rail’s chief financial officer.
Biggs told EG: “It has been such a privilege to work on these marvellous assets and to contribute to the built environment.
“After 11 years it’s time for someone to lead the group property role into a new era, with this local regionalisation and the outcome of the Williams Review some time in the future.”
He added: “We’ve spent the last year or so restructuring property to move into a ‘one function, six teams’ model. There are five regional teams and a group property team.
“It is really putting decision-making right at the front end of the organisation with the people on the ground.”
Biggs said he has no intention of taking any break and will be considering potential new ventures, with a particular interest in supporting large landowners with sustainable real estate strategies and public-private partnerships.
He said: “The one great thing with property is that it is fun and it is extremely interesting, and I want to keep that interest in my life. I’m not ready to hang up the boots just yet.”
Network Rail Property’s portfolio of investments was valued at £227m in its 2020 Annual Report and Accounts, for the year ended 31 March. During the year, it reported income of £254m from property, with £58.3m in development income, releasing land for 4,200 homes. Since launching the five-year strategy, NRP has delivered land for 9,276 homes, surpassing expectations of 9,000 homes.
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