Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Kent’s super wealthy make Rich List
A Canterbury-based family whose wealth has rocketed by almost £9 billion in the past year are now sixth on the UK rich list. Barnaby Swire, who lives in Chartham, on the outskirts of the city, has soared up the rankings compiled by The Sunday Times. It reports “Barnaby and Merlin Swire and family” are now worth a staggering £17.2 billion, rising 12 places since last year. It puts them £3 billion behind Sir James Dyson in fifth and £6 billion off Ineos CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe in fourth. Meanwhile, Sir Roger De Haan - the man behind the transformation of Folkestone seafront, who made his fortune through the sale of Saga - has seen his wealth drop over the past year. He and his brother Peter are now worth a combined £825 versity, is the chairman of million, down £26 million and global corporation the Swire five places to 205th. Group, while Merlin is managing This is still more than The director.
King’s wealth of £610 million. The Swire Group’s wealth But it pales in comparison comes from industry, transport with the vast fortune of the and property, according to Swire family. The Sunday Times. Barnabycshawucierreh,owuseh-okmwgaszeettde -uh-alf pagiet.prdef p1or06t/s03t/h20a2t4 t1h2e:53f:a14mily conglomerate cated at Eton and Oxford Uni- has a large stake in
Cathay Pacific and extensive holdings in Asia.
Sir John Swire, Barnaby’s father, was a former chairman of the Swire Group. He lived in Selling, near Faversham, and died aged 89 in 2016. Barnaby Swire’s wife Camilla has been an active campaigner on housing developments in
the Canterbury area.
In 2021, she launched a legal challenge in an effort to quash outline planning permission for the 400-home Cockering Farm development on the outskirts of Thanington.
But the judicial review was rejected by the High Court in 2022.
Mrs Swire was also instrumental in halting a bid to demolish the abandoned Thruxted Mill between Canterbury and Ashford and replace it with a housing estate. Developers hoping to build 20 homes pledged to decontaminate the site at an estimated cost of £1.75 million - and the proposals
were given outline permission.
Former housing secretary, Robert Jenrick, determined an environmental impact assessment into potential land contamination was not necessary. However, a legal challenge from Mrs Swire halted the project’s progress and the application was later pulled.
The Sunday Times also reports that the family of the late Mohamed Al Fayed including his daughter Camilla, who lives on an organic farm in Kent that supplies her vegan restaurant in Notting Hill - is now worth £1.5 billion. Rolling Stones legend Sir Mick Jagger, from Dartford, is 315th on the list with £415 million.