10 INDUSTRY NEWS
Campaign aims to put smaller developers ‘at the heart of housebuilding’
Thomas Alexander Homes makes key new appointments
Independent housebuilder City & Country has pledged its support for a new national campaign by Pocket Living which “urges the Government to help unlock the potential of small and medium-sized developers to end the housing crisis.” Pocket Living’s “Get SMEs Building Again campaign refl ect the diffi culties that SME housebuilders face and proposes a 10-point plan to “boost housing delivery by levelling the playing fi eld. The report notes that the number of SME housebuilders has plummeted from 12,000 in the 1980s to just 2,500 today, with the sector now building just 10% of the UK’s new homes, compared with nearly half of homes in the 1970s. Pocket Living, supported by City & Country and a number of other developers, has put forward a manifesto of recommendations that it believes will revitalise the struggling small and medium-sized housebuilder sector and massively speed up the number of homes being built on smaller sites across the country. Wayne Douglas, managing director at City & Country, comments: “The report by Pocket Living clearly highlights the diffi culties that s face, and puts forward a sound and well-researched plan that could unlock the full potential of smaller businesses to create the homes the country so badly needs. At City & Country, we are keen to support it and
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would encourage the Government to take urgent action to put smaller developers back at the heart of housebuilding. He continued: “SMEs have a vital role to play in the housing market, but there are too many barriers in their way – the pace of planning is one such hurdle, but another signifi cant barrier is the cost of fi nance when the planning and discharge process can be so lengthy and uncertain. For SMEs, the risk we take on can mean that on otherwise viable schemes, we struggle to break-even on a building project, whereas with more speed and certainty of timing, more schemes could be viably delivered.” Paul Rickard, managing director at
Pocket Living, added: “Small and medium-sized housebuilders have a wealth of skill and talent that needs to be supported. In London alone, the number of SMEs has plummeted by 66% since Pocket was founded two decades ago, making it harder and harder to get new homes built on smaller sites – especially since delays in planning consent are more damaging to smaller businesses. We are delighted that City & Country has joined our campaign, and we look forward to discussing these proposals in detail with the Government. All of the steps included in Get SMEs Building Again are designed to be cost-neutral for the Treasury and should be low-hanging fruit for the Chancellor.”
Yorkshire-based housebuilder Thomas Alexander Homes has announced the appointments of Dean Woodward as site manager, Jasmine Thomas as technical coordinator and Dan Pearson as sales executive. Woodward has worked in the construction industry for more than 15 years, with 11 of those spent in site management roles for organisations including Keepmoat and Avant Homes. In his new role, he will be responsible for the successful eecution of the fi rms newest development, Hartley Vale, a mix of two, three, four and fi ve bedroom properties in the village of Burneston. With more than 10 years’ experience in the property industry, Thomas’ appointment as technical coordinator will see her working in both the company’s architectural and engineering departments, where her responsibilities will include creating plans and coordinating designs for forthcoming developments, ensuring all projects meet building control and sustainability requirements and actioning diversions and service providers. New sales executive, Dan Pearson joins the company having spent the last three and a half years working in the property sector. He will be located at the company’s new Swann Gate development in Church Fenton, where he will assist customers throughout their buying process, from initial enquiry to completion. Alex Blease, managing director at Thomas Alexander Homes, said: “Dean, Jasmine and Dan are fantastic new recruits for us as we continue to expand our business. Dean adds invaluable management experience to the team and will support our growth across the Yorkshire region at a time when high-quality, sustainable housing is in extremely high demand. “Jasmine’s understanding of both the engineering and agricultural sides of our business – coupled with her indepth knowledge of the property industry – will make her a versatile and exceptionally talented addition to the team, while Dan’s impeccable customer service skills, work- ethic and ambition align perfectly with those of the company.”
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