Christopher Howes
Encyclopedia
Sir Christopher Kingston Howes KCVO
, CB
, FRICS, FRIBA, DLitt, MPhil, BSc
(born 30 January 1942) is a leading figure in the world of land and buildings with a career in the public, private and academic sectors.
and Marion Howes (née Bussey), he was educated at Gresham's School
, Holt
, and the University of London
, where he graduated BSc
in 1965. He is also a fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors 1966 and also holds a M.Phil from the University of Reading
, 1975.
1965-1967 Valuation and Planning Department, The Greater London Council.
1967-1978 Professional career in Norwich including Steward and Hon Surveyor the Dean and Chapter of Norwich Cathedral. Adviser to Local Authorities. Member Norwich Council, Magistrate Norfolk, Founder Member Theatre Royal Trust, Cotman Housing Association and Norwich Third World Centre.
He was Director of the Land and Property Division for the Department of the Environment from 1979 to 1989, Visiting Professor at University College London
and Chairman of the World Land Policy Conference. OECD Urban Policy Group 1985.
1992-1999 Trustee HRH The Prince of Wales Institute of Architecture. 1995-1998 Member Secretary of State for the Environment's Thames Advisory Board. Member Court of Advisers,
For eleven years from 1989 he was Chief Executive of the Crown Estate
in the United Kingdom
, valued in 2006 at three billion pounds. It includes most of Central London, over half of all the United Kingdom
's forests, hundreds of farms and other rural estates, and the whole of the British seabed between the coast and the twelve-mile international limit. In 2006, the annual income of the Crown Estate was around two hundred million pounds
.
He is an adviser to Barclays Capital
and a member of the Advisory Board of Barclays Private Bank. Member, Advisory Board of Delta LLP; member, Council of the Duchy of Cornwall
; Director, Howard de Walden Estates.
Both before and since managing the Crown Estate, Howes has pursued a wide variety of business, academic, charitable and other interests (see below).
Career outline
Academic appointments
Honours
Publications
External links
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, FRICS, FRIBA, DLitt, MPhil, BSc
BSC
BSC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:Science and technology* Bachelor of Science , an undergraduate degree* Base Station Controller, part of a mobile phone network; see: Base Station subsystem...
(born 30 January 1942) is a leading figure in the world of land and buildings with a career in the public, private and academic sectors.
Early life
The younger son of Leonard Howes OBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
and Marion Howes (née Bussey), he was educated at Gresham's School
Gresham's School
Gresham’s School is an independent coeducational boarding school in Holt in North Norfolk, England, a member of the HMC.The school was founded in 1555 by Sir John Gresham as a free grammar school for forty boys, following King Henry VIII's dissolution of the Augustinian priory at Beeston Regis...
, Holt
Holt, Norfolk
Holt is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is north of the city of Norwich, west of Cromer and east of King's Lynn. The town is on the route of the A148 King's Lynn to Cromer road. The nearest railway station is in the town of Sheringham where access to the...
, and the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, where he graduated BSc
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in 1965. He is also a fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors 1966 and also holds a M.Phil from the University of Reading
University of Reading
The University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...
, 1975.
Career
Howes's career has spanned the public and private sector:1965-1967 Valuation and Planning Department, The Greater London Council.
1967-1978 Professional career in Norwich including Steward and Hon Surveyor the Dean and Chapter of Norwich Cathedral. Adviser to Local Authorities. Member Norwich Council, Magistrate Norfolk, Founder Member Theatre Royal Trust, Cotman Housing Association and Norwich Third World Centre.
He was Director of the Land and Property Division for the Department of the Environment from 1979 to 1989, Visiting Professor at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
and Chairman of the World Land Policy Conference. OECD Urban Policy Group 1985.
1992-1999 Trustee HRH The Prince of Wales Institute of Architecture. 1995-1998 Member Secretary of State for the Environment's Thames Advisory Board. Member Court of Advisers,
For eleven years from 1989 he was Chief Executive of the Crown Estate
Crown Estate
In the United Kingdom, the Crown Estate is a property portfolio owned by the Crown. Although still belonging to the monarch and inherent with the accession of the throne, it is no longer the private property of the reigning monarch and cannot be sold by him/her, nor do the revenues from it belong...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, valued in 2006 at three billion pounds. It includes most of Central London, over half of all the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's forests, hundreds of farms and other rural estates, and the whole of the British seabed between the coast and the twelve-mile international limit. In 2006, the annual income of the Crown Estate was around two hundred million pounds
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
.
He is an adviser to Barclays Capital
Barclays Capital
Barclays Capital is a global British investment bank. It is the investment banking division of Barclays plc which has a balance sheet of over £1.2 trillion . Barclays Capital provides financing and risk management services to large companies, institutions and government clients. It is a primary...
and a member of the Advisory Board of Barclays Private Bank. Member, Advisory Board of Delta LLP; member, Council of the Duchy of Cornwall
Duchy of Cornwall
The Duchy of Cornwall is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch inherits the duchy and title of Duke of Cornwall at the time of his birth, or of his parent's succession to the throne. If the monarch has no son, the...
; Director, Howard de Walden Estates.
Both before and since managing the Crown Estate, Howes has pursued a wide variety of business, academic, charitable and other interests (see below).
Career outline
- 1965 to 1967: The Greater London Council
- 1967 to 1979: Professional practice in Norwich and London.
- 1979 to 1989: Director of Land and Property Division of the Department of the EnvironmentSecretary of State for the EnvironmentThe Secretary of State for the Environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment . This was created by Edward Heath as a combination of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Building and Works on 15...
- 1982 to 1989: Second Commissioner of the Crown EstateCrown EstateIn the United Kingdom, the Crown Estate is a property portfolio owned by the Crown. Although still belonging to the monarch and inherent with the accession of the throne, it is no longer the private property of the reigning monarch and cannot be sold by him/her, nor do the revenues from it belong...
- 1989 to 2000: Chief Executive of the Crown EstateCrown EstateIn the United Kingdom, the Crown Estate is a property portfolio owned by the Crown. Although still belonging to the monarch and inherent with the accession of the throne, it is no longer the private property of the reigning monarch and cannot be sold by him/her, nor do the revenues from it belong...
- 1993 to 2005: Member of Council of the Duchy of LancasterDuchy of LancasterThe Duchy of Lancaster is one of the two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Cornwall. It is held in trust for the Sovereign, and is used to provide income for the use of the British monarch...
- 1998 to 2004: Non-executive director of the Norwich and Peterborough Building SocietyNorwich and Peterborough Building SocietyNorwich and Peterborough Building Society is a trading name of Yorkshire Building Society based in Bradford, West Yorkshire. At the time of merger, it was the ninth largest building society in the United Kingdom, with assets in excess of £4.9 billion...
- 2005 to (2007): Non-executive Chairman of the Barclays Bank Property Finance Team
- Member of the Prince’s Council of the Duchy of CornwallDuchy of CornwallThe Duchy of Cornwall is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch inherits the duchy and title of Duke of Cornwall at the time of his birth, or of his parent's succession to the throne. If the monarch has no son, the...
- Director of the Howard de Walden Estate
- Director of the Colville Estate Ltd
- Director of the Compco PLC.
Academic appointments
- 1975: Senior Visiting Fellow, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East AngliaUniversity of East AngliaThe University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
- 1976-1981: part-time lecturer, Department of Land Economy, University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
- 1974–1980: Visiting Lecturer, University of ReadingUniversity of ReadingThe University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...
- 1982: Visiting Lecturer, University of AberdeenUniversity of AberdeenThe University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
- 1983: Visiting Lecturer, UCLA and University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
- 1984: Visiting professor, Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning, University College, London
- 1985: Visiting Lecturer, Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
- 1985: Visiting Lecturer, University of North CarolinaUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
and University of MiamiUniversity of MiamiThe University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12... - Member of the Court of the University of East AngliaUniversity of East AngliaThe University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
Honours
- 1993: Companion of the Order of the BathOrder of the BathThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
- 1997: Commander of the Royal Victorian OrderRoyal Victorian OrderThe Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
- 1999: Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
- 2000: Honorary DLitt of the University of East AngliaUniversity of East AngliaThe University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
- 2002: College of Estate Management Property Award
- 1995: Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects
Publications