Tom Bloxham (property developer)
{{Short description|British businessman}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Tom Bloxham
MBE
| image =
| title = Chancellor of the
University of Manchester
| term_start = 1 August 2008
| term_end = 1 August 2015
| predecessor = Anna Ford and Terry Leahy
| successor = Lemn Sissay
| birth_name = Thomas Paul Richard Bloxham
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1963|12|20}}
| birth_place = Fleet, Lincolnshire,{{cite web|url=http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/b/22685/Tom+BLOXHAM.aspx |title=Tom Bloxham, Esq, MBE Authorised Biography – Debrett’s People of Today, Tom Bloxham, Esq, MBE Profile |publisher=Debretts.com |date=1963-12-20 |accessdate=2013-09-28}} England
| alma_mater = Victoria University of Manchester
| residence = Manchester, England
| profession = Chairman and Co-Founder, Urban Splash
| children =
| blank1 = Salary
| data1 = £150,000 plus dividends.{{cite news| url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article1562958.ece | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070327085634/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article1562958.ece | url-status=dead | archive-date=27 March 2007 | location=London|title=Business : Columnists | newspaper=The Times | first=Anushka | last=Asthana|author-link=Anushka Asthana}}
}}
Thomas Paul Richard Bloxham MBE (born 20 December 1963) is a British property developer, founder of award winning urban renewal property development company Urban Splash and the modern housebuilder House by Urban Splash - companies which have won 450 awards to date for architecture, design and business success.
In 1999 Bloxham was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1999 Birthday Honours for Services to Architecture and Urban Regeneration.{{London Gazette |issue=55513 |date=12 June 1999 |page=14 |supp=y }}
Background
Bloxham was born in Hampshire and went to Tiffin School[http://info.uwe.ac.uk/news/UWEnews/article.asp?item=1159&year=2007 "UWEawards honorary degree to Tom Bloxham MBE"], University of the West of England, 22 November 2007. leaving in 1983 to go to Manchester to study Politics & Modern History at the Victoria University of Manchester where he received a 2:2 degree. Before university he sold fire extinguishers to businesses and he increased sales by setting his briefcase on fire and then extinguishing it. At University he started a poster business seling posters at student unions across the north of England. After university he opened a music and film poster shop in Afflecks Palace.{{cite web | author=| title=Urban Splash's Tom Bloxham speaks exclusively to Pride Of Manchester about his life and the city's architecture | work=Pride of Manchester |url=http://www.prideofmanchester.com/interviews/TomBloxham.htm| accessdate=6 October 2007}}
Urban Splash
Bloxham began subletting portions of his unit at Afflecks Palace and this began his career in property. Bloxham co-founded Urban Splash with architect Jonathan Falkingham and initially converted redundant properties, mainly formerly industrial buildings, in north west England into city centre residential loft apartments.{{cite web|author=|title=TOM BLOXHAM - Chairman of the Urban Splash Group|url=http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/ewm/mp/tbloxham.html|work=Manchester Evening News|accessdate=6 October 2007|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070816100715/http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/ewm/mp/tbloxham.html |archivedate=16 August 2007}}
Headquartered in Castlefield, Manchester,{{Cite web |title=Get in touch |url=https://www.urbansplash.co.uk/contact |access-date=2022-08-09 |website=Urban Splash |language=en}} with regional bases in Liverpool, Leeds, Bristol, Sheffield, Cambridgeshire and Plymouth, the company has created more than 5,000 new homes and jobs and over two million sq ft of commercial space. The company has won over 450 awards for architecture and regeneration, including 46 RIBA awards. {{Cite web |title=Our Awards |url=https://www.urbansplash.co.uk/about/awards |access-date=2022-08-09 |website=Urban Splash |language=en}}
He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and in 1999, he was given an MBE.
In September 2012 the company reported pre-tax losses of £9.3 million and debts of £234.4 million for the previous year.{{Cite news |title=Urban Splash debts reach £234m but company staying positive |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/urban-splash-debts-reach-234m-3338986 | location=Liverpool | work=Liverpool Echo |first1=David |last1=Bartlett |date=2013-05-07}}
In the aftermath of the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire a number of Urban Splash developments were found to have been constructed using flammable cladding and to not comply with the required Building regulations in the United Kingdom.{{cite web|author=Tom Ravenscroft |url=https://www.dezeen.com/2018/01/23/will-alsop-chips-apartment-block-non-fire-retardant-written-cladding/ |title=Cladding of Will Alsop's Chips apartment block has "non fire retardant" written on it |publisher=Dezeen |date=2018-11-08 |accessdate=2020-06-05}}{{cite web|author=David Rhodes & Jonny McGuigan |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-46103414 |title=Grenfell Tower: Unsafe cladding 'still affects thousands' |publisher=BBC News |date=2018-01-23 |accessdate=2020-06-05}}
Pro Bono Appointments
Bloxham was elected Chancellor of The University of Manchester in June 2008 to take office from 1 August 2008 for a period of seven years. Bloxham was installed as Chancellor at a ceremony at the University's Whitworth Hall on 3 December 2008. At the same ceremony Sir Bernard Lovell, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Edward Gregson and Eddie Davies received honorary degrees.{{cite web | url=http://www.manchester.ac.uk/installation/ |title=Installation ceremony 2008 |accessdate = 2009-03-26}}UniLife; 2 Feb 2009, pp. 4-5
He completed his term of office on 1 August 2015 and was succeeded by the poet and broadcaster Lemn Sissay.{{cite web | url=https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/lemn-sissay-installed-as-university-of-manchester-chancellor/ |title=Installation ceremony 2015 |accessdate = 2018-11-28}}
Tom has also held other pro bono positions including a Trustee of the Big Issue North, a Founding Chair of the Ancoats Urban Village Trust, a Founding Chair Centre for Cities Think Tank (2007 – 2010) {{Cite web |last=Greig-Smith |first=Heather |last2=November 2005 |first2=Heather Greig-Smith Heather Greig-Smith25 |title=Urban Splash chief to chair Centre for Cities think tank |url=https://www.propertyweek.com/residential-and-development/urban-splash-chief-to-chair-centre-for-cities-think-tank/3059495.article |access-date=2022-08-09 |website=Property Week |language=en}} and Chair Arts Council (NW) (1999 – 2008).
He was a Trustee of the Tate from 2009 to 2017,{{Cite web |date=2009-02-25 |title=Tate appoints Bloxham to board of trustees |url=https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/tate-appoints-bloxham-to-board-of-trustees/ |access-date=2022-08-09 |website=Place North West |language=en-GB}} a Founding Trustee of the MUFC Foundation (2007 – present),{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Manchester United |title=Manchester United Foundation - The Board of Trustees |url=http://www.mufoundation.org/en/about-us/theboard |access-date=2022-08-09 |website=www.mufoundation.org}} a Founding Trustee of the Bloxham Charitable Trust (2001 – present) and Founding Trustee of the Urban Splash Charitable Trust (2008 – present).
Other Achievements
Bloxham was Founding Chair of the Manchester International Festival which was established in 2004. {{Cite news |last=Shea |first=Compiled by Christopher D. |date=2017-06-02 |title=A Summer of Opera, Theater and Music |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/02/arts/a-summer-of-opera-theater-and-music.html |access-date=2022-08-11 |issn=0362-4331}}
In 2019 he was named North West Insider Property Personality of the Year{{Cite web |last=Media |first=Insider |title=Insider North West Residential Property Awards 2019 |url=https://www.insidermedia.com/event/insider-north-west-residential-property-awards-2019/coverage?og=1 |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=Insider Media Ltd |language=en}} and was named in the 2016 City AM Entrepreneur list. He has won awards including The College of Estate Management Property Award (2008){{Cite web |last=admin_ucem |date=2017-10-11 |title=UCEM Property Awards 2017: Past Property Award Winners |url=https://www.ucem.edu.hk/ucem-property-awards-2017-past-property-award-winners/ |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=University College of Estate Management |language=en-GB}} and The Royal Society of Arts RSA Bicentenary Medal.{{Cite web |title=Past winners of the Bicentenary Medal |url=https://www.thersa.org/about/bicentenary-medal/past-winners |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=The RSA |language=en}}
Bloxham has received an Honorary Fellowship, Cumbria University,{{Cite web |date=2010-07-15 |title=Bloxham awarded seventh university honour |url=https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/bloxham-awarded-seventh-university-honour/ |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=Place North West |language=en-GB}} an Honorary Doctorate of Business, University of Plymouth,{{Cite web |title=Tom Bloxham MBE |url=https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/students-and-family/our-stories/150/prestige-lectures/tom-bloxham-mbe |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=University of Plymouth |language=en}} an Honorary Doctorate, University of Manchester,{{Cite web |title=University honours world leaders in property, cancer and economics |url=https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/university-honours-world-leaders-in-property-cancer-and-economics/ |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=University honours world leaders in property, cancer and economics |language=en}} an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Design, University of West England,{{Cite web |title=UWEawards honorary degree to Tom Bloxham MBE - UWE Bristol: News Releases |url=https://info.uwe.ac.uk/news/uwenews/news.aspx?id=1159 |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=info.uwe.ac.uk}} an Honorary Doctorate of Design, Oxford Brookes University, and an Honorary Fellowship, Liverpool John Moores University.{{Cite web |title=Honorary Fellows Index |url=http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/about-us/fellows/honorary-fellows-index |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=www.ljmu.ac.uk |language=en}}
In 2022, The Manchester School of Architecture announced Bloxham as visiting professor of Urban Regeneration.{{Cite web |date=2022-12-15 |title=Manchester School of Architecture appoints Tom Bloxham MBE as Visiting Professor {{!}} Business Manchester |url=https://www.businessmanchester.co.uk/2022/12/15/manchester-school-of-architecture-appoints-tom-bloxham-mbe-as-visiting-professor/ |access-date=2023-04-05 |language=en-GB}}