Castell Group, run by 27-year old, approaches £100M of affordable housing development projects in South Wales

Castell Group, a land development company based in Swansea run by 27-year old Dorian Payne, has just exceeded a secured land development pipeline in excess of 450 homes, with a combined project value that will soon exceed £100M — despite the age discrimination suffered by its founder.

Castell Group specialises in unlocking and maximising land opportunities to build highly sustainable, social, affordable and disabled-adapted homes for those truly in need. 

The pipeline of 450 homes will be built during the next 2-3 years and Castell Group is on track to achieve its target of consistently delivering over 300 affordable homes per annum throughout South Wales.

L-Plates and Landlords

Dorian Payne, Castell Group's 27-year old managing director, set up his first property-related business at 16 years old while studying accountancy at college. 

When he wasn't at college, he was cold-calling landlords for his fledgling property management firm. He would turn up to meet his landlord clients on a 50cc moped with L-Plates, with a camera around his shoulder to take pics for marketing the properties to potential tenants. Suffice to say, their jaws would drop.

Over time, Dorian's property management business expanded into becoming an estate agency, along with a residential and commercial finance brokerage. 

He then started working with investors and developing smaller properties and building a property portfolio. However, this was not making the significant social impact he always wanted and hence Castell Group was born.

Dorian has since raised several millions pounds in finance and his drive has seen his company become one of the leading land-led social, affordable and disabled-housing specialist providers in South Wales.

Dorian has very ambitious plans to continue growing and tackling the serious affordable housing crisis in Wales and, over time, the rest of the UK. His latest project is a development in Newport comprising 18 social and affordable apartments. 

Dorian Payne, Founder, Castell Group, commented: 

I have always had a passion for the property industry and wanted to make a significance difference. I have been working with social housing tenants since my letting agency was established and scaled by cold-calling landlords while in college studying accountancy. I still remember having to take landlord and tenant calls in between college lectures. I would turn up to meetings on my moped with L-plates and a camera strapped around my shoulder ready to take photos and market the properties to potential tenants. Age discrimination is always something I've had to deal with, but ultimately it has helped develop my resistance, determination and business skills.  I'm very lucky to be surrounded by an incredible team who are aligned with the company mission and are dedicated to providing high quality homes for those truly in need."