Countryside has posted a 93 per cent increase in its operating profit for 2015, on the back of a 31 per cent increase in revenue.

Operating profit nearly doubled to £91.2m for the year ended 30 September 2015, compared with £47.1m a year earlier.

Revenue increased over the same period, rising to £615.8m, up from £468.7m the year before.

Average selling prices rose by 16.8 per cent to £385,000, as completions rose by 16 per cent to 2,364.

Countryside chairman David Howell said the results reflected “another tremendous year of growth” for the group.

He added that “strong customer demand [and] political support for the sector” would help it continue to grow over the next 12 months.

Countryside reported a strong forward sales position for 2015 of £137.5m.

Although this was only slightly up on last year’s forward sales of £137.3m, it is nevertheless the group’s highest forward sales position on record.

The company said it was “on track” to hit its medium-term target of 3,600 completions per year and a target operating margin of over 17 per cent.

Countryside group chief executive Ian Sutcliffe (pictured) said: “We are delighted to have continued to deliver our operational and financial objectives.

“We have focused on delivering strong top line and bottom line growth, while maintaining our capital discipline, to give a significant improvement in operating profit, margin and ROCE.

“Both our housebuilding and partnerships divisions have performed very well and have excellent visibility to deliver further industry leading growth.”