If you look at the long lists of business, retail and residential developments under way by the two divisions of Tony Gallagher’s company, you wouldn’t believe there had ever been a credit crunch.

Gallagher Estates and Gallagher Developments are involved in dozens of schemes across the UK from Cambridge to Caerphilly, from Bristol to Bedford. If Tony Gallagher’s approach to the slump in the property market is to spread the risk geographically and across sectors, then it’s certainly working. The Gallagher signboards are up on a huge variety of projects from small 20 acre developments to entire towns.

One of the flagships from Gallagher Developments is the Warwick Gates Business Park which offers business properties and offices of all sizes, complete with lake, tree-lined boulevards, a health and fitness club and a day nursery

His Gallagher Estates is building not one but two sustainable new towns; one in Bedfordshire and one in Cambridge.

These two huge projects form just part of the portfolio of developments across the country for Gallagher’s two divisions, which are rich in land and property assets. Gallagher Estates alone owns or controls land with planning consent for more than 32,000 residential plots.

Gallagher Developments owns land with planning consent for six million square feet of commercial development. The core business involves an investment portfolio of around 3.5 million square feet of retail parks throughout the country.

It’s not difficult to see that the Warwick-based company is keeping its head well above water. In fact Gallagher UK continues to be one of the most successful privately-owned commercial and residential property development and investment companies in the UK. Tony Gallagher, as owner and chairman, has driven Gallagher UK to a powerful position in the development business, with substantial cash reserves and, he is proud to say, no borrowings. The value of its land bank means that our £500 million estimate for Tony Gallagher’s wealth is a conservative figure.

Gallagher UK is turning its attention to environmental issues and is working with Cranfield University on sustainable urban regeneration and infrastructure improvement.