Our History
Where it all started
In the beginning, our chairman Harry Banks saw there was a need for coal in the UK, which at that time was the dominant fuel used in the UK to generate electricity. Harry secured a contract to work our first surface coal mine The Edward Pit in Tow Law, County Durham. As the company grew so did the “Banks Family” as we were able to offer employment opportunities for local people, as we still do today with over 230 people employed across our sites at our head office in Meadowfield, and at our area offices at Thrislington, Hamilton in Scotland and Harewood House in Leeds along with our many operational projects in the North of England and Scotland.
We are proud of our coal mining routes, we’ve worked 115 sites which are now fully restored and landscaped creating a range of new after-uses including beautiful country parks, sports pitches, regenerating land to build new communities whilst ensuring that we deliver many benefits and a long-lasting positive legacy for local communities to enjoy for generations to come.
As our business grew so did our business needs and opportunities. Banks Brothers Transport was incorporated in 1982 and has offered a safe, responsible and efficient transport fleet that served our coal mining business and delivers services to a range of materials to customers across the UK.
Developing our family business
In the mid-eighties Banks Property was born. We used the planning experience, expertise and aptitude of our growing team to develop land for building works, selling the land for commercial and residential developments. Since then, we have gained planning permission for over 10,000 homes, expanded our operations opening a Yorkshire Property office and we have an incredible 94% planning success record in the last ten years.
A testament to the expertise and dedicated of our talented Banks Property team.
Generating sustainable energy
As a family business we believe in placing people and the planet at the heart of all that we do. At the turn of the millennium, it became clear that the world needed to accelerate generating electricity from alternative indigenous sources.
In 2006, we diversified using decades of experience developing land to set up Banks Renewables bringing forward onshore wind farm developments as we began our mission to support the UK on its journey to net-zero.
Fast forward to today, Harry Banks is still our chairman and we now own and operate ten wind farms throughout Scotland, north east England and Yorkshire, we’ve generated 3 million MWh of renewable electricity, and we are investing in other renewable and flexible energy projects including solar farms and battery storage units contributing to a more sustainable future to meet the UK’s future energy needs.
Building on solid foundations
The Banks Group is adaptable, we are forward-thinking and innovative. We’ve successfully expanded and diversified into renewable energy, and property development and in 2023 we embarked on the next stage of our exciting development journey into housebuilding.
Banks Homes will be a regional housebuilder delivering high quality and sustainable homes across North East and Yorkshire. Our first two development sites will be 9 executive homes at Mount Oswald in Durham City and up to 150 new homes on a seven-hectare site at Station Road in West Rainton, County Durham.
Supporting our communities
We believe that the communities that host our developments should share in the benefits. Since its inception in 1997 The Banks Community Fund (which is made up of several funds) has awarded over £6 million in grants to over 1,300 community groups, voluntary organisations and environmental projects, something that is inherent in our development with care values and something that we are committed to delivering always.
It’s been an exciting and rewarding journey so far and we’re looking forward to an even brighter future for our family and for yours.