Three influential industry experts have joined rapidly expanding property developer Strawberry Star Group to help elevate the businesses residential sales and Build-to-Rent (BTR) arms. Yash Dave joins Strawberry Star as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO), having over two decades of experience in finance and operations, with his most recent
LEADING commercial property agency Innes England has announced an exciting expansion to its business following the appointment of highly experienced investment advisor Ben Robinson who is relocating from London. Ben has spent the past six years as a senior investment advisor at Matthews & Goodman where he was involved in
The high-profile recruitment is a statement of intent as Glencar continues to invest in putting the right infrastructure in place to support continued growth. Glencar, an expanding construction company specialising in the industrial, logistics, distribution, manufacturing, life science and pharmaceutical sectors has today announced the appointment of Roy Jones as
Public sector procurement experts LHC London and South East will be hosting a free webinar on 16 November, 10am – 11am about their latest Public Buildings Construction and Infrastructure (PB3) Framework. The £1.6 billion framework will help local authorities, social landlords and other public sector bodies to source contractors for works
Keepmoat Homes and Salix Homes are combatting the construction skills shortage in the North West with a series of training programmes. The two organisations have worked in partnership, along with Salford City Council, Connexions, Salford City College and Build Salford, to deliver a series of bespoke training programmes designed to
A property maintenance company has announced the success of a recent apprentice recruitment drive which has increased its workforce. Keen to play its part within both the local economies and communities in which it works, Platform Property Care – a subsidiary of one of the UK’s largest social landlords, Platform
PICK Everard has added two key public sector frameworks to its portfolio following a successful appointment to two of Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) frameworks, allowing it to expand and diversify its service offering for the public sector. Both the Management Consultancy Framework Three RM6187 (MCF3) and the Estate Management Services
The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI) is to offer installers easy and affordable access to apprentices with a ground-breaking employer package for the new Apprenticeship programme. The KBB Fitted Interiors Apprenticeship programme is set to provide hundreds of youngsters with career opportunities within the KBB installation
Housebuilder Bellway has relocated its Eastern Counties divisional office to Building 2030 at Cambourne Business Park as it targets significant growth over the next five years. The division is one of Bellway’s newest, having been established in 2018. Its first office opened in Huntingdon early in 2019. Bellway Eastern Counties
Travis Perkins plc, which is the largest supplier of building materials and equipment, and a leading partner to the construction industry, has appointed Nick Pinney as the Group’s new Property Director from 1st November 2021. Nick will be replacing Martin Meech, who is retiring from the Group at the end
Three influential industry experts have joined rapidly expanding property developer Strawberry Star Group to help elevate the businesses residential sales and Build-to-Rent (BTR) arms. Yash Dave joins Strawberry Star as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO), having over two decades of experience in finance and operations, with his most recent position as Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Henley Homes. Mark Parker, who was the former regional Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and National Executive Board Member at Redrow, joins Strawberry Star as a Senior Advisor, alongside another ex-CEO heavyweight, Steve Walker, who previously led L&Q’s low-cost home ownership subsidiary, Tower Homes. The appointments are set to help expand Strawberry Star’s reach in the UK residential sector, whilst strengthening its ambitious housing vision to deliver 2,000 new homes by 2025. “The added expertise that these appointments bring is exactly what Strawberry Star needs to reach its next step after a challenging year for the housebuilding industry. We joined the UK market in 2007 and have already acquired over 1.5 million sq. ft to date, but we have even bigger plans for the future. Mark and Steve’s extensive experience and past successes will help us in our mission to rebalance the under supply of housing in the South East, whilst Yash’s operational understanding will ensure we continue to nurture the business as an end-to-end developer,” said Chief Executive Officer of Strawberry Star, Steven Beveridge. With 2,000 units already planned or under construction, Strawberry Star will continue to concentrate on the needs of first-time buyers who are priced out of central London, as well as providing investors with a fully managed buy-to-let experience. Current developments include LU2ON in Luton, and Harlow Quarter in Essex, with two further sites in the pipeline. Strawberry Star’s BTR arm is set to expand the developers offering in addition to residential sales, lettings, asset management and acquisitions. Successful schemes to date include Hoola at the Royal Docks, Bronze in Wandsworth, Sky Gardens in Nine Elms, and Greenview Court in Southall. As Senior Advisor to the Chairman, CEO and Directors of Strawberry Star, Mark Parker brings with him decades of experience at top tier housing providers. As well as leading three London divisions at Redrow, during his time as Managing Director of Telford Homes, he became the driving force behind its successful BTR expansion. In Mark’s newest role, he will act as a critical guide in helping to form the strategic direction of the company on its growth journey. Steve Walker will also help Strawberry Star deliver sector leading customer satisfaction and operational performance. Walker’s track record includes facilitating L&Q’s exponential growth over 20 years as Director of Regeneration, managing some of the largest development programmes in the UK. During this time period, he oversaw a turnover that reached nearly £300m with asset values of over £4bn. He is the only Housing Association CEO to receive HR magazines Most People Focused CEO Award as well as the National Housing Federation’s Lifetime Achievement Award for services to low-cost home ownership.
LEADING commercial property agency Innes England has announced an exciting expansion to its business following the appointment of highly experienced investment advisor Ben Robinson who is relocating from London. Ben has spent the past six years as a senior investment advisor at Matthews & Goodman where he was involved in over £250m of real estate transactions across the office, industrial and alternatives sectors. Prior to this he spent time at CBRE undertaking international real estate transactions, and eight years at Mapeley where he was an asset manager overseeing a £600 million UK fund. Returning to his hometown of Nottingham after 15 years with some of the capital’s top firms, Ben is looking to bring his wealth of experience and client contacts to the East Midlands and will be heading up a new investment department with Innes England. Ben, a Nottingham Trent University alumnus, said: “I’m delighted to be moving back to the city I grew up in and where I studied for my MA. “Innes England is one of the biggest consultancy firms in the region so it was an easy choice. I’m very excited to be joining the team and look forward to adding to its already impressive reputation in the market as the go-to agent in the East Midlands. “I intend to utilise the wealth of experience I have gained during my time in London to provide a high quality and joined-up investment service across the East Midlands through Innes England’s Nottingham, Derby and Leicester offices. I’m looking forward to helping clients navigate and prosper from the trends that have been accelerated by the pandemic, which continue to play out across the ‘sheds, beds and meds’ sectors. I’m looking forward to working with managing director Matt Hannah as well as the rest of the team to provide a full cycle service to existing clients and new investors to the region”. Following successful recognition for its investment services, including at the EG Awards in 2020 where it scooped ‘Most Active Agent 2019 for Investment’, the firm is looking to solidify its achievement with a dedicated department. Matthew Hannah, managing director at Innes England, said: “We are building on our activity in the investment market to launch a dedicated new department. Having Ben on board to head this up will be invaluable to its growth and success. “Ben has an impressive resume of experience working with some of London’s top firms, including major accounts, so I have no doubt he will be a tremendous asset to the team. I’m excited to see where he takes the new department and look forward to working alongside him. “With the firm’s market knowledge on rental levels, tenant demand, and data from our Market Insite reviews we are in a strong position to bolster our investment services with Ben as a dedicated source. Together with our building surveying and asset management teams we can now offer pre-acquisition advice on properties and service charges with agency input to ensure the asset performs to its maximum potential.” Find out more at http://www.innes-england.com or join the conversation at @InnesEngland.
The high-profile recruitment is a statement of intent as Glencar continues to invest in putting the right infrastructure in place to support continued growth. Glencar, an expanding construction company specialising in the industrial, logistics, distribution, manufacturing, life science and pharmaceutical sectors has today announced the appointment of Roy Jones as Managing Director London and South as it continues investing in the recruitment of high calibre personnel and infrastructure to support its continued strong growth. Formerly of McLaren Roy’s appointment will bolster Glencar’s capability in London and the South-East. It will also complement Glencar Managing Director Midlands and North Peter Goodman’s team, giving Glencar ‘One quality-One service’ nationwide coverage. Roy who has an engineering background, started his career at Tarmac before moving to McLaren where for the past decade as Divisional Director presided over the development of a £150M portfolio of projects with an unblemished record of delivery. Roy brings experience across retail, commercial, mixed use, industrial & logistics, data centres, residential and education. Roy will form part of the core, strategic management structure Glencar is establishing in order to support continued growth in a stabilised and controlled way. Commenting on the announcement Glencar Managing Director Eddie McGillycuddy said “We are very happy to announce the appointment of Roy Jones which serves as a real statement of intent by Glencar as we continue to build for the future. Roy comes with a phenomenal pedigree and will bolster our capability considerably in London and the South as we continue to build the spine of our offering across the UK and core markets. Glencar is committed to investing in high calibre personnel, infrastructure, and resources in order to maintain the level of customer service that we have become synonymous with. Roy’s appointment together with the strength and growth of our operations in the Midlands and North represents measured growth to anticipate and meet growing customer demand”.
Public sector procurement experts LHC London and South East will be hosting a free webinar on 16 November, 10am – 11am about their latest Public Buildings Construction and Infrastructure (PB3) Framework. The £1.6 billion framework will help local authorities, social landlords and other public sector bodies to source contractors for works relating to the construction and refurbishment of educational, health care, emergency service and community buildings. It can also be used for residential properties within mixed-use developments, student accommodation, conversion of commercial building for residential use, and can include associated infrastructure works. Attendees to the webinar will learn everything they need to know to get the full benefit from the framework. They will have the chance to speak to LHC’s technical experts and get first-hand insight on the scope of the framework, its currently appointed contractors, technical evaluation, tender call-off procedures, and most importantly, how to access it. There will also be an opportunity at the end of the presentation for a Q&A session where attendees will be able to put forward any questions to the London and South East panel. Worth up to £750 million in England, PB3 has awarded places to forty-seven contractors. It replaces the previous Schools and Community Buildings framework, which has been updated and expanded to build on its success. It now offers a wider selection of construction contractors and will be able to assist even more public sector building projects through its four workstreams and value bands lots. Ethan James, acting regional manager at LHC London and South East said: “The launch of our Public Buildings Construction and Infrastructure framework couldn’t come at a more crucial time as the built environment faces the urgent challenges brought about by the energy and climate crisis, and the need to produce increasingly low carbon and efficient buildings. “The Government’s Autumn Budget announced an £11.5bn investment in affordable homes, and £3.9bn to aid in the decarbonisation of UK buildings, and we’re ready to support this plan with PB3 being the latest of our frameworks to make it easier to achieve low energy and zero carbon buildings. “We hope to see lots of new and familiar faces at our launch webinar this month, and I look forward to sharing all the details, answering questions, and helping local authorities and public sector workers to deliver efficient, cost-effective and zero carbon projects in their communities.” Sign up to the free PB3 framework webinar taking place on 16 November 2021, 10am – 11am by registering on the link: https://bit.ly/3EHOYXX For more information on PB3 and LHC’s other frameworks, visit the website: www.lhc.gov.uk/
Keepmoat Homes and Salix Homes are combatting the construction skills shortage in the North West with a series of training programmes. The two organisations have worked in partnership, along with Salford City Council, Connexions, Salford City College and Build Salford, to deliver a series of bespoke training programmes designed to give young people an introduction into the construction industry. In total, over 30 young people in the area have undertaken the programme across four years. The programme is designed to enable students with an interest in the construction industry to deliver real work outcomes. The course not only developed their skills in construction, but it also helped them choose the right career path, develop their employability skills and ensure they progressed into further education, employment or training. “Our bespoke training programmes, tailored towards young people living in Salford, have been a huge success in raising young people’s aspirations and giving them a direction for their careers. All the participants gained a great deal of experience and confidence to start their working life, and it’s great to see so many moving onto employment, training or further education,” said Gareth Roberts, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat Homes. “At the start of the programme this year some of the students thought they knew exactly which trade they wanted to progress into but after trying it first-hand, realised it wasn’t the trade for them. We wish them all the very best in their future careers.” During the six-week course, the students undertook a series of professional training and workshops, including taster sessions in a variety of trades such as joinery, plastering, tiling and bricklaying, along with site visits at Keepmoat’s Riverbank View development. This has provided an opportunity to work alongside skilled employees and contractors, along with resilience sessions to improve their ability to cope with adversity and help them to adapt to change more effectively. This year, seven 16-years olds signed up and completed the programme, with two going onto an electrical course, two to a brick laying course, two to a plastering course and one to a plumbing course. The work is part of Keepmoat’s ongoing commitment as part of its Riverbank View development in Salford. The new development will bring over 425-much needed homes to the area, along with a new park which will be available for all the community to use. “Salix Homes is committed to supporting young people in our communities with opportunities to learn new skills and gain valuable experience, which will help them to build themselves a bright future. This construction programme is a huge success story for Salford, transforming the lives of young people, helping to create the workforce of the future and proving just what can be achieved when partners work together,” added Sian Grant, Executive Director of Operations at housing association Salix Homes. “Young people have been hit hard by the impact of the pandemic, so it’s more important than ever that we continue to provide these sorts of opportunities to give young people the best chance to secure meaningful employment and get their careers on track.”
A property maintenance company has announced the success of a recent apprentice recruitment drive which has increased its workforce. Keen to play its part within both the local economies and communities in which it works, Platform Property Care – a subsidiary of one of the UK’s largest social landlords, Platform Housing Group – has recruited five new apprentices to various roles. The new recruits are Declan Coleman, Alex Pugh, Sue Walker, Thomas Ransford and Josh Easton. Nineteen year old Declan Coleman, from Malvern, Worcestershire, has joined Property Care as an apprentice carpenter through the apprentice recruitment campaign; the apprenticeship, which will take two years to complete, is complemented by Declan studying a carpentry and joinery course at Hereford, Ludlow and North Shropshire College. Declan said : “I am really enjoying my apprenticeship so far; I hope to become fully qualified and work my way up the organisation. I always get the help I require and everybody treats each other with respect.” Alex Pugh, aged 18, from Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire has also joined the company on a 4 year electrical apprenticeship; studying Level 3 Electrical Installations, also at Hereford, Ludlow and North Shropshire College, Alex studied Business, Maths and Physical Education A Levels at sixth form. Alex said : “My apprenticeship is such a fantastic opportunity and I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for me. I am really enjoying it so far, no two days are the same and there is always a variety of work. Platform made me feel so welcome right from the start.” Interestingly, 380 applicants – out of the 538 recently advertised apprenticeships throughout Platform Property Care – applied for the three electrical apprenticeships, proving how sought after such apprenticeships are. The second electrical apprentice to join the company is Sue Walker from Redditch, also studying at Hereford, Ludlow and North Shropshire College; previously employed in administration, Sue combined her employment with studying NVQ Diplomas, Level 2 and Level 3, in Electrical Installations. Sue – who has previously completed work experience with Platform – said : “I’m looking forward to learning and developing my skills and building my knowledge to become a fully competent electrician. Prior to joining Platform I looked at other apprenticeships and concluded that Platform offered the best apprentice package making me feel that they value both their apprentices and their staff. I look forward to building my career with them.” Thomas Ransford has started a 4 year electrical apprenticeship studying at Birmingham Electrical College. Tom said : “Doing an apprenticeship is the best way to obtain the skills and knowledge of a trade in a controlled environment making it easy to learn and progress in completing the course. I hope to become a worthwhile member of the Platform team; I am a firm believer that what you put in you will get out!” The fifth newest apprentice of the apprentice recruitment campaign is Josh Easton who has joined the social landlord on a carpentry apprenticeship. Since September 2021, 17 new apprentices have joined Platform Property Care; with 30 apprentices in total, this equates to 5% of its total workforce.
PICK Everard has added two key public sector frameworks to its portfolio following a successful appointment to two of Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) frameworks, allowing it to expand and diversify its service offering for the public sector. Both the Management Consultancy Framework Three RM6187 (MCF3) and the Estate Management Services (EMS) framework from CCS are accessible to all public sector organisations in the UK. Pick Everard has been appointed to two lots on the MCF3, covering Business (Lot 1) and Environmental Sustainability and Socio-Economic Development (Lot 9). This framework agreement will run for four years. Lot 1 covers a diverse range of business services provision and will see Pick Everard delivering services including – but not limited to – business case development, business processes, change management, operational planning and improvement, programme and project management, and value for money reviews. Meanwhile Lot 9 will cover a wide range of environmental sustainability and socio-economic services, such as climate change adaptation, carbon management and reporting, natural resource management, pollution control, policy development, and social value. CCS supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2020/21 CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £2.04bn – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers. Alastair Hamilton, partner at Pick Everard, said: “We are thrilled to have secured these appointments and to be able to support the public sector through these key, central government-led frameworks that will undoubtedly benefit communities around the country. “Our appointment to MCF3, which is utilised by big players in the market and household names like HS2, will see us acting as cost and project managers in a much wider context, diversifying and expanding the services we offer beyond the property realm in which we have historically worked. “This secures us among the top project management suppliers in the UK – something we are very proud of – and opens new doors to us as a firm, along with the opportunity to bring the decades of public sector experience within the team to a new portion of the market. “Using this framework as a delivery vehicle for environmental sustainability services helps secure our continual commitment to sustainability and work towards net carbon zero. We understand how important this is to the public sector at the moment and look forward to supporting those clients in achieving their sustainability goals.” The firm has also secured Lot 4 of the Estate Management Services framework, namely ‘surveying and strategic advice’ with a term of three years (36 months) with an option to extend by a further 12 months. This multi-lot framework supports UK public sector bodies and future successor organisations, which includes central government departments. It is also available for use for the bodies and agencies connected with those departments as well as the wider public sector, including, but not limited to local government, health, education, emergency services, housing associations and charities. Services will be delivered primarily within the UK, with some limited requirements overseas. David Harris, partner at Pick Everard, said: “This marks a significant development in our on-going partnership with CCS, being the first time we have been selected to the Estate Management Services framework. It will allow us to maintain and develop existing relationships within CCS while building new ones within this specific area. “As well as extending our portfolio of work, these appointments will also solidify Pick Everard’s position in the market and will allow us to continue the growth in the strategic advisory, surveying and asset management areas of the business too. Our multi-disciplinary nature as a firm allows us to provide added value, being able to draw on our in-house expertise for all the commissions we deliver. And ultimately, this allows us to save costs, while maintaining a diamond standard of delivery.” Pick Everard employs more than 600 staff across its 13 offices, providing a range of project, cost, and design consultancy services. For more information, please visit www.pickeverard.co.uk.
The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI) is to offer installers easy and affordable access to apprentices with a ground-breaking employer package for the new Apprenticeship programme. The KBB Fitted Interiors Apprenticeship programme is set to provide hundreds of youngsters with career opportunities within the KBB installation sector, tackling immediate worker shortages and longer-term skills gap challenge. New national network of BiKBBI approved Centres of Excellence to ensure apprentices will receive a first class foundation to their installation career; Compelling package of support that enables installers take on apprentices without having to deal with recruitment, employment or training complication; Promotional campaign backed by six figure support set to drive interest in taking up apprenticeships among young people across the country. The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom and Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI) is today calling on the industry and installation businesses of all sizes to support the long-term future of the industry’s workforce by promoting the apprenticeship programme and ultimately supporting businesses to take on an apprentice, safe in the knowledge that doing so will be hassle-free with support from BiKBBI. The invitation comes thanks to a ground-breaking package of tailored support for installation businesses that the Institute has developed in collaboration with strategic partners. With demand for installation higher than ever, the new BiKBBI support package offers installation businesses a fast track to the workers they need for their businesses to continue to deliver and grow during these times of unprecedented demand. The apprenticeship package that BIKBBI has developed comprehensively addresses: The recruitment of high-quality apprentices, including advertising vacancies, vetting applicants and carrying out all eligibility checks; All employment administration, including contracts and paperwork, health and safety checks, and running payroll for the apprentice; All of the training requirements, including placing the apprentice with an accredited training provider (BiKBBI Centre of Excellence), monitoring the apprentice’s progress and arranging for the end point assessment needed to complete the apprenticeship; All performance management and support for the apprentice – freeing up the installation business to focus on the work itself; The process to complete the apprenticeship, ensuring that the apprentice is ready to transition into the next phase of their career. Backed by a three-year funding pledge from Quooker, BIKBBI expects this to lead to over 500 new apprentices per year entering our industry. Campaign activity will include working closely with the college recruitment departments and visiting schools to generate interest in KBB installation careers. BIKBBI is also in discussions with a number of charities and community groups to develop recruitment campaigns within underrepresented communities, helping to ensure that the people from all backgrounds take up the opportunities of a KBB installation apprenticeship.
Housebuilder Bellway has relocated its Eastern Counties divisional office to Building 2030 at Cambourne Business Park as it targets significant growth over the next five years. The division is one of Bellway’s newest, having been established in 2018. Its first office opened in Huntingdon early in 2019. Bellway Eastern Counties now employs 64 people and supports hundreds of contractor jobs across the East of England. Directly employed staff cover a range of disciplines, from land and planning to technical, commercial, finance and sales. The team also includes apprentices and graduate trainees. “Our move to larger premises is an immensely positive step forward for the division, which reflects the continued high demand for new homes in this part of the country. We did not expect to outgrow our previous office space so soon. The fact that we did so demonstrates how quickly we have scaled this new division,” said Phil Standen, Managing Director of Bellway Eastern Counties. “A series of new developments will launch to the public over the next year and our land buyers are busy securing more sites for future growth. Cambourne Business Park has everything we need locally, and the office is a first-class environment which will enable us to innovate and expand further.” The division is working on 13 current and future housing developments, with more to be announced soon. Work is underway on its second development in Fordham, to be followed by homes in locations including Peterborough, Stilton, Godmanchester and Bacton in Suffolk. Bellway Eastern Counties has also been announced as a joint venture partner with Latimer to build 1,200 homes in Cherry Hinton, near Cambridge. “The search for a new office was extensive and we are pleased to have found somewhere that ticked every box. In just three months, we have agreed the lease, organised the office fit-out and moved in. The team are delighted to be settling into their new surroundings,” added Phil.
Travis Perkins plc, which is the largest supplier of building materials and equipment, and a leading partner to the construction industry, has appointed Nick Pinney as the Group’s new Property Director from 1st November 2021. Nick will be replacing Martin Meech, who is retiring from the Group at the end of 2021 in a move that has been planned carefully for some time, and after 16 years of distinguished service. Martin’s retirement brings an end to a period of 35 years where he held the role of Property Director but will be continuing in his Non Executive and advisory roles. Nick first joined the Group as Divisional Property Director in 2014 before being promoted to Property Director for the Group’s Merchant businesses in 2019. As the new Group Property Director Nick will oversee the Group’s £1bn property business with a portfolio of more than 1300 buildings, and be responsible for the continued growth and development of the Group’s estate. He will be reporting to the Group’s CFO, Alan Williams. “I am really pleased to announce the promotion of Nick, who is a fantastic asset to our team and who has grown with us since he joined the business seven years ago. This appointment is a testament to his talent and skills, and also of our commitment to the development of our own colleague pipeline. “Nick has already played a key role in developing the property strategy that supports the ambitious growth we have for our businesses, and he will now be responsible for the long term plan to maintain and improve our estate, to make sure it is fit for the future in terms of driving the digital agenda, and that we lead the way on sustainable construction,” explained Alan Williams. Prior to joining Travis Perkins, Nick worked as a Retail Partner for Strutt & Parker and as an analyst at Morgan Stanley. He is a language graduate from Oxford and has an MA in Property Valuation & Law from Cass Business School at City University. Nick lives in the Banbury area with his wife and four young children, and when time allows, he’s a keen tennis player and enjoys golf.
