Leaper specialise in delivering Custom and Self‑Build homes in rural areas of the UK.
Our goal is to create homes and places of the highest quality whilst enabling buyers to design or configure a home specific to their needs.
Leaper was founded by Ben Marten and Dom Palmer-Tomkinson who are both passionate about the countryside and rural living. They believe sensitive, well-designed, well-planned development can benefit rural communities.
They’ve combined their passion and professional experience to create a business that focuses on unlocking the value of smaller parcels of land that tend to be overlooked by larger and more traditional developers.
We select sustainable and deliverable sites that are an important contributor to solving the UK housing shortage and a welcome boost to rural settlements.
Leaper work with the very best professionals and consultants with proven track records of achieving the best possible outcome for our clients and the communities in which we work.
Together we:
Create great places which fit in with their surroundings — every village, town or city has special and positive characteristics that make it different from others, we strive to discover and understand what that is and instil it in our developments
Offer choice and diversity — this helps a place feel like it’s grown over time; by choosing to specialise in Custom and Self-Build projects we have set out to create a way for people to influence the design of their own homes and create something specific to their needs
Build beautiful, efficient homes — that means creating homes that are flexible, environmentally high-performing, and are delightful and practical places to live
Deliver people-friendly streets and open spaces — essential elements in creating popular, safe, healthy, and sustainable places.
Meet the team
Ben Marten
Founding director
Since 2005, Ben has specialised in start-up business management, investment, and consultancy. He has a background in residential and commercial property development and investment, including the complete restoration and renovation of Grade II* listed Ingoldisthorpe Hall in Norfolk.
Dom Palmer-Tomkinson
Founding director
Dom spent over a decade in the financial industry, working for Cazenove & Co and Westhouse Securities, before joining a rural planning consultancy in 2014 where he was responsible for developing the client base amongst housebuilders and land promoters.
Adam Towle
Development director
Adam is an architect and housing development expert with extensive experience in private and public sectors, including for the Mayor of London. He’s a board director of urban regeneration company Be First, a Design Council Expert, sits on several design review panels, and is a mentor with social enterprise Public Practice.
Board and advisory
Miff Chichester
Chairman
Miff qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1992 and has worked in the world of property since 1995. He is currently Managing Partner at St Congar Land, one of the UKs leading land promoters.
Harry Lopes
Non-executive advisor
Harry is a chartered accountant with extensive experience in solar development in the UK and more recently in the US. Harry brings financial oversight as well as key contacts with landowners countrywide.
Kim Slowe
Non-executive advisor
Formerly a Royal Navy helicopter pilot and frigate captain Kim has spent the last 20 years delivering design-led, sustainable homes. He founded the housebuilder ZeroC and the Custom and Self-Build brand Design Your Home.
Charles Wilson
Non-executive director
With over 20 years’ experience in financial markets Charles provides invaluable financial insight and experience and sits on the Leaper board as Investment Director.
Some of our partners
