Lee Whiting has been confirmed as the Managing Director of Green Clover Developments (GCD), a Redditch-based offshoot of Oakland International Limited, and a company aiming to create the most revolutionary sustainable food parks and eco home sites in the UK.

In the last eight years he has left his mark on Oakland International climbing the ladder to a position as Group Supply Chain Director, but he admits the opportunity to try something new with the GCD project was too good an opportunity to miss.

Whiting said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be offered this opportunity to build upon the work I have previously been doing with Oakland International.

“This is an exciting new direction, and I couldn’t be happier. Obviously, I will still be working closely with Oakland International Co-Founder Dean Attwell and the Oakland Board, who are backing GCD, but I now also have the autonomy to get my teeth into something new.”

In his new role Whiting will oversee the development of sustainable food parks and nearby affordable, sustainable, eco- friendly homes.

The plan is to create one, and then roll the model out across the UK, including Scotland and Wales.

The statistics for the plan are impressive. Each one could create up to 3,000 new jobs in each region, plus between 75-100 construction contracts, giving a real shot in the arm to the British economy.

What is even more impressive, whichever local authority having the vision to permit the development could benefit from an impressive Gross Value Added (GVA) impact of £509 million.

Whiting added: “I started in warehousing as a young 18-year-old but was always very driven, ambitious, and worked solidly until I became a site general manager. I always wanted to oversee a task like this.”

Thirty years on and Whiting, who when not working can be found racing around on a bike of some description, is relishing his new role.

“I hope the skills I have amassed over my career and the contacts I have made will stand me in good stead.”

Not to be content with his new position at GCD, Whiting has also taken on a Board role at Rack Collapse Prevention (RCP) run by another member of the Attwell family, Dean’s brother Craig.

RCP specialise in systems designed to provide safer storage in warehouses with employee safety very much at the forefront.

Family man Whiting added: “I have amassed a lot of contacts in the warehouse industry over the last couple of decades so I hope I can bring this incredible system, which really does save lives and revolutionise storage, in front of lots of the right people.”