Stuart Corbyn was invited by David Le Lay to join the Council of the Society in 1993, and was Chairman from 2009 to 2011. His first experience of Chelsea was in the late 1960s when he was attracted to the vibrancy, theatre and individuality of the King’s Road.
He was Chief Executive of the Cadogan Estate from 1986 until 2008. During that time Cadogan evolved from being a traditional ground-rent estate, becoming an active property owner with an emphasis on forming direct relationships with residential and commercial occupiers. Substantial investment was made in the buildings, with several major refurbishments and developments undertaken as well as additions to the portfolio, an example being the Harvey Nichols building.
Some of the more significant projects were the re-establishment of Sloane Street as a location for luxury retailers, the creation of a concert venue, Cadogan Hall, following the acquisition and conversion of a former church, and the purchase and adaptation of the TA Headquarters to become Duke of York Square with a mixture of educational, office, residential, restaurant and retail uses, a home for the Saatchi Gallery and extensive new areas of public realm.
Working at Cadogan meant being involved on a daily basis with Chelsea’s history, in particular its continuing development since Hans Sloane’s purchase of the Manor of Chelsea at the beginning of the 18th century.
Stuart Corbyn is a Chartered Surveyor and past President of the British Property Federation. He has been a Commissioner of the Royal Hospital Chelsea and a trustee of the Chelsea Physic Garden. Also, a Commissioner of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, a Member of the Council of the Royal Albert Hall, Chairman of the Property Development Committee of the Royal Brompton Hospital’s Charitable Fund, and a Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
