Biography
Senior Lecturer, Real Estate and Rural Land Management.
Steve Bucknell Joined RAU in July 2025 after more than 35 years as a Chartered Surveyor in professional practice and industry.
Graduating from Reading University, Steve spent five years as a commercial property surveyor before moving ‘client-side’ to spend three years in the property department of a large retail organisation.
From there, Steve went on to spend over 25 years in commercial property development, with projects encompassing supermarkets, care homes and retirement accommodation, crematoria and an auction house.
His work covered demographic analysis, site finding, negotiation and acquisition, development appraisal, funding, planning, project management lettings and disposals. Steve estimates he has delivered over 50 projects with a total value in excess of £400m.
During his career he has often given presentations at seminars and conferences. Receiving the ‘What House’ award for best care home in 2006 and twice winning the Health Investors’ ‘Property Developer of the Year’ award (2011 and 2014), Steve also developed the first BREEAM ‘Excellent’ care home (Wadhurst Manor, East Sussex) and the first ‘Passivhaus’ care home (Juniper House, Brackley) in the UK.
As well as being an experienced main board level business leader Steve has also served for over 25 years as a local councillor variously at Town, District and Unitary levels.
Steve is married to Allison; they were foster carers for over 14 years. In his spare time Steve is a bellringer, beekeeper, antiques buff and appalling golfer.
