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Harron Homes gives hope to OPAL school

Harron Homes gives hope to OPAL school

Local housebuilder Harron Homes has donated 30 pairs of high-quality wellies to the children of Staveley Primary Junior School in Staveley, Chesterfield, close to Harron Homes’ Thorpe Meadows development. Staveley Junior School is part of the Outdoor Play And Learning (OPAL) Primary Programme, which aims to encourage creative outdoor play

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Regenerated site ready for two new communities

As part of two major regeneration projects, leading housebuilder Harron Homes has commenced construction of nearly 300 new homes on recently acquired land in Doncaster and Harworth. Both sites are the product of extensive investment schemes led by Harworth Group PLC, one of the UK’s leading land and property regeneration

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Harron Homes celebrates another double NHBC win

Harron Homes is celebrating two winners of the National House Building Council (NHBC) 2022 Pride in the Job awards. Both 26 year-old Zak Green based at The Hawthornes development in Carlton and Niall Gibson, 30, who works at Thoresby Vale in Edwinstowe were recognised by the NHBC, the UK’s leading

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Part Exchange Scheme Perfect Solution for Yorkshire Househunters

Most people are familiar with the concept of Part Exchange, effectively trading in your current home for a new one. Samantha Corbett, the expert Part Exchange Manager at Harron Homes Yorkshire explains why Harron Homes’ Part Exchange scheme is the perfect solution for a hassle-free move. Having held similar positions

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Housebuilder Harron Homes Join Homes England’s Dynamic Purchasing System

Housebuilder Harron Homes have officially joined Homes England’s Delivery Partner Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). Homes England is the Government’s housing delivery agency and one of the largest vendors of residential land. Harron Homes will be joining 65 other developers, suppliers and housing associations in the new £20bn DPS. The Delivery

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Yorkshire Homebuilder Welcomes New Construction Director

Robert Kerr from Rotherham, has recently joined the Leeds-based Harron Homes Yorkshire executive team as Construction Director. With almost four decades experience in the construction industry, it is a role he is well placed to undertake. Robert, age 54, who is known as Bob, was most recently Construction Director at

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Latest Issue

BDC 319 : Aug 2024

harron homes

Family traditions, modern visions: three apprentices build generational legacies in construction

Family traditions, modern visions: three apprentices build generational legacies in construction

Three young joiners are following in their relatives’ footsteps to build successful careers in construction thanks to their Apprenticeship schemes with Harron Homes. This National Apprenticeship Week (5th-11th), the apprentices are calling for other young people to consider this route into the industry. Harron Homes’ passion for building quality homes means the business is keen to get apprentices stuck in with practical on-site work as soon as possible. Wickersley-born Bradley Panks, aged 20, is currently undertaking the second year of his joinery apprenticeship. His grandfather also works in the construction sector, and Bradley was inspired to follow in his footsteps by embarking on the apprenticeship scheme. The level 2 Joinery diploma operates as a ‘day-release course,’ with work at Harron Homes North Midlands’ De Maulay Manor site in Doncaster balanced with one day per week spent at Rotherham College. The course, which is studied over three years, is designed to equip people new to the industry with all the crucial skills for the job. “Harron is great because they had me working on site really quickly,” says Bradley. “College is useful, but there are some on-site scenarios that a college course simply can’t predict. Being able to get some real-time experience has significantly benefited my progress, and it’s also improved my confidence. In Nottinghamshire, at Harron Homes’ The Brambles development in Retford, Kieran Armes, 17, is in his first year of an apprenticeship with Harron Homes North Midlands. Kieran is also on a day-release course, studying at Nottingham College. Kieran’s father Paul works in construction and has been an inspiration to the young apprentice. A Nottinghamshire local himself, Kieran has settled right in to his joinery apprenticeship.  “I think one of the most beneficial aspects of the whole thing is that you learn your way around problems in real time,” says Kieran. “Getting to grips with that kind of situation requires practice within an unpredictable and busy environment, which is what the apprenticeship provides.   “I’m proud to become a part of the build process and would encourage anyone considering an apprenticeship to go for it.” In Huddersfield, at Harron’s Highfield Manor development in Fixby, 17-year-old Connor Simpson has started his three-year joinery apprenticeship, with one day per week spent at Leeds College of Building. Like Kieran, Connor is also following in the footsteps of his father Daniel, who is a Site Carpenter for Harron Homes, and the father and son often work together as a team. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Harron Homes gives hope to OPAL school

Harron Homes gives hope to OPAL school

Local housebuilder Harron Homes has donated 30 pairs of high-quality wellies to the children of Staveley Primary Junior School in Staveley, Chesterfield, close to Harron Homes’ Thorpe Meadows development. Staveley Junior School is part of the Outdoor Play And Learning (OPAL) Primary Programme, which aims to encourage creative outdoor play in schools, leading to increased focus in the classroom and the ability for children to regulate their behaviours. In fact, schools applying OPAL’s play-focused approach have seen a reduction of recorded behavioural incidents by around 80%. Staveley Junior School is a school of 146 children serving the community of Staveley, which aims to provide an excellent education while providing pupils with life experiences they might not be able to access at home, including opportunities to play, be creative, and learn outdoors. In light of this, Staveley Primary School is on a mission to develop its outdoor space while implementing the Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) scheme over the next 18 months. A core part of this project is ensuring the pupils have suitable outdoor attire for rainy days and during the colder seasons. Harron Homes’ generous donation of wellies constitutes a significant contribution toward this need, equipping the children with comfortable, durable wellies for fun and educational outdoor activities. Sue Parkes, Headteacher at Staveley Junior School, said, “The children are delighted with the wellies. They’ve already started learning outdoors, but this will allow them to continue to do so through-out the upcoming winter months so that they can get the benefits of outdoor learning throughout the year. “Many of our families would not be able to equip their children with outdoor attire of their own – particularly at this time of rising costs across the board. Harron Homes’ donation of these high-quality wellies is therefore a huge help, and we would like to extend our gratitude towards everyone at the company.” Natalie Griffiths, Sales and Marketing Director for Harron Homes North Midlands, said: “Harron Homes is a housebuilder with community at its heart. We are dedicated to the communities where we build and make it a priority to support schools local to our developments. Last year we donated hi-vis jackets to the pupils of Inkersall Primary Academy in Chesterfield to help them during Walk to School Month, and it’s great to be able to help out another school this year. “All children deserve the opportunity to learn in a creative and dynamic way, and we’re excited to see how Staveley Primary School develops its outdoor play offering for these bright young minds.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Regenerated site ready for two new communities

As part of two major regeneration projects, leading housebuilder Harron Homes has commenced construction of nearly 300 new homes on recently acquired land in Doncaster and Harworth. Both sites are the product of extensive investment schemes led by Harworth Group PLC, one of the UK’s leading land and property regeneration companies. Simpson Park Street Scene Plots 54-57-min… Harron Homes previously worked with Harworth Group at its Thoresby Vale site in Edwinstowe, where Harron has built 143 homes surrounded by beautiful views of Sherwood Forest. As two of the largest sites in Harworth Group’s portfolio, both Simpson Park and Riverdale Park look set to provide valuable opportunities for retail, residential, commercial, employment, leisure and green infrastructure developments. Simpson Park is located on the former Harworth Colliery site in Harworth, Nottinghamshire, where the coal mine operated for over 80 years, before being decommissioned in 2002 and demolished in 2016. The name of the site was chosen to respectfully commemorate the world-famous cyclist, Tom Simpson. Local to the area, Tom Simpson was a champion cyclist who sadly died ascending Mont Ventouz during the 1967 Tour de France. Harron Homes’ area of the development constitutes 13 acres, where they have commenced building 132 of their high-specification properties. There are plans for a nearby primary school to be extended to serve the development, and other amenities will be available on site, such as a family public-house and restaurant and extensive green public open spaces. Within 30 minutes driving distance of Worksop and Doncaster, the area is approximately a mile north of Junction 34 of the A1(M), providing access to the larger motorway network. Riverdale Park, located in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, has been regenerated from the old McCormick tractor factory site. Harron Homes has acquired the plot adjacent to the riverside, where 139 new homes are being positioned along river frontage ideal for delightful waterside living. The area has great commuter access to the M1, A1 and M18 and is under an hour away from Leeds and Rotherham. The development will also benefit from the proposed commercial infrastructure, several amenities of which have already been built. Nick Hague, Land Director of Harron Homes, says: “On these two new sites we are creating a host of new homes in really idyllic locations rich with cultural history. We’ve enjoyed a great relationship with Harworth Group in the past and are excited to be working with them again. The regeneration schemes they’re known for really boost these areas and pave the way for new, vibrant communities to be established. We’re very satisfied with the work we’ve done so far and look forward to developing these two popular housing locations.” Ed Catchpole, Regional Director for Yorkshire & Central at Harworth, says: “Harron Homes is a valued and trusted partner of Harworth, with a track record of high-quality housebuilding. We are delighted to be working with them again at Simpson Park and Riverdale Park, where they will help us to create vibrant and sustainable communities where people want to live and work.” For more information on Harron Homes please visit www.harronhomes.com.

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Harron Homes celebrates another double NHBC win

Harron Homes is celebrating two winners of the National House Building Council (NHBC) 2022 Pride in the Job awards. Both 26 year-old Zak Green based at The Hawthornes development in Carlton and Niall Gibson, 30, who works at Thoresby Vale in Edwinstowe were recognised by the NHBC, the UK’s leading home warranty and insurance provider. Its flagship Pride in the Job award is one of the most highly regarded competitions in the industry, showcasing best practice and rewarding excellence. This isn’t the first time Zak’s hard work has been recognised since he started his construction career as an apprentice bricklayer in 2012. The Barnsley local won Apprentice of the Year 2015/16, as well as Assistant Site Manager of the Year in 2018. Zak has been aiming for an NHBC award since he joined the Harron team as Site Manager at its Kings Croft development in Killinghall near Harrogate, in 2020. Zak commented, “I’m over the moon to receive this award! In every job I’ve made it my mission to go above and beyond to create homes of the best quality and that effort is definitely paying off. Of course I couldn’t do it without the brilliant team around me. Everyone on site cares about the quality they are producing on a daily basis, especially my assistant site manager, Simon Giles, and I’m grateful for their hard work and support every day.” Niall started out his career in building maintenance before joining Harron as Assistant Site Manager at Heritage Green in Chesterfield three and a half years ago.  In 2020, he joined Thoresby Vale as Assistant Site Manager and within the year he had been promoted to Site Manager. This award comes just a year into his new role. He follows hot on the heels of the development’s previous Site Manager, David Mills, who also won the Pride in the Job Award and went further in the competition to win a Seal of Excellence award. Niall said “This award means the world. I’m absolutely delighted. So much heart and soul has gone into this job and to see that recognised within my first year of being Site Manager feels incredible. “I’ve found working with Harron very enjoyable, it’s a great place to work with a great group of people. I’ve been supported by my fantastic Assistant Site Manager, Simon Noone, who has put in amazing work. I wouldn’t have achieved this without him.” Ian Pendlebury, Group Managing Director said, “We’re very proud of both Niall and Zak. It’s great to see that all the hard work and effort put in by both site teams has been recognised and rewarded with a highly contested and prestigious Pride in the Job award.” NHBC Chief Executive Steve Wood said: “For more than 40 years, Pride in the Job has been an important part of our work to help drive construction quality. Winning Site Managers tell us that it inspires them to give a little extra and to strive harder for ever-higher standards of house building. “Congratulations to all the 2022 Pride in the Job Quality Award winners. They are an inspiration to us all and should be very proud of the quality of new homes they are creating.” For more information on Harron Homes visit: https://www.harronhomes.com/

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A site to behold – housebuilder advocates for construction site equality on International Women’s Day

Jackie Priestley, Assistant Site Manager at Harron Homes’ Highfield Manor development in Fixby, Yorkshire –which won Harron development of the year 2022-, can attest to the progress made in the construction industry mindset over the past few decades. Jackie got her start in the industry as an apprentice plasterer over 20 years ago, and after 10 years of plastering, and a stint teaching she moved into site management and joined Harron in 2021. “College was the toughest time for me. I was the only girl on my course and definitely got treated differently for that. “Things have fortunately changed over the years and people are much more accepting than they used to be. “Out of all the companies I’ve worked at, Harron is definitely the most progressive which I think is mostly down to the fantastic higher management team. I’m a keen yoga teacher, and when I’ve talked to the office team and the guys on site about doing a session for the mental health benefits they’ve all been receptive which I think just shows how open-minded Harron’s environment is. “I have seen a lot of bias in the industry, people used to assume all sorts about me including my sexuality, but there isn’t that pressure to be ‘one of the lads’ at Harron. I’m a very feminine person, and I haven’t felt less respected because of that. “I think the biggest way to combat the inequalities is by simply normalizing women’s presence. A lot of it comes down to a change in mindset; most of the sexist comments I get are from the older generation, while my son wouldn’t think twice about seeing a woman on site.  “There’s still a way to go – I’m the only woman working on my site, besides the sales team – but I’ve never felt so supported and encouraged in such a positive environment.” Harron Homes is always on the lookout for talented people to join their team and help grow the thriving business. See the latest vacancies and apply here.

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Part Exchange Scheme Perfect Solution for Yorkshire Househunters

Most people are familiar with the concept of Part Exchange, effectively trading in your current home for a new one. Samantha Corbett, the expert Part Exchange Manager at Harron Homes Yorkshire explains why Harron Homes’ Part Exchange scheme is the perfect solution for a hassle-free move. Having held similar positions for years at other housebuilders, Sam is familiar with the pros and cons of the various schemes on offer within the industry. “What stands out about Harron’s Part Exchange scheme is our team isn’t limited to purchasing specific types of properties. We are open to various types which other builders wouldn’t consider – leaseholds, apartments, listed buildings – and they don’t even have to be local to Harron. We can purchase anywhere in England. “The obvious benefit of Part Exchange is that it cuts the chain, so it prevents buyers from having to rely on others to move successfully. In addition, the only time estate agents are involved is when we arrange for three local independent agents to value your home to ensure we offer full market value for it. There’s no fee for this service either, so it’s really a win-win for the customer. Moving is stressful enough without having to navigate estate agents and solicitors while selling your existing home. “It’s a very customer focused service, my role is designed to make everything as smooth as possible on their end. Not many builders have their own Part Exchange team, leaving customers to still deal with third parties. All my customers have the benefit of being able to contact me directly with any questions or concerns, and I’m able to provide updates instantly without having to follow up with external parties. “There’s a lot to be said for the level of security Part Exchange offers too. Not only does it remove the need to negotiate offers, but it means there’s no concern with the sale falling through later down the line since selling to Harron doesn’t rely on us securing a mortgage. “With this many benefits, Part Exchange is definitely worth considering at least!”

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Housebuilder Harron Homes Join Homes England’s Dynamic Purchasing System

Housebuilder Harron Homes have officially joined Homes England’s Delivery Partner Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). Homes England is the Government’s housing delivery agency and one of the largest vendors of residential land. Harron Homes will be joining 65 other developers, suppliers and housing associations in the new £20bn DPS. The Delivery Partner DPS is one of Homes England’s main routes for land distribution and it gives house builders such as Harron Homes the ability to bid for these sites. Other public bodies may also use the DPS to procure developers, broadening housebuilders exposure to potential projects. It also allows for potential new members to join at any time – in contrast to the previous framework which renewed every four years. Nick Hague, Land Director at Harron Homes, said “After a rigorous application process, we are delighted that Homes England have accepted us onto its exciting new DPS system. “Being accepted enables us to work dynamically in identifying and procuring residential land. We are already planning on how to take maximum advantage of a framework that unlocks opportunities to be involved with projects which may have previously not come to our attention. “The new framework means benefits are passed onto both landowners and home buyers, new homes can be built quicker”. To find out more about current Harron Homes developments and the homes currently available, visit https://www.harronhomes.com/find-a-home/ or call the sales team on 01777 553390.

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Planning submitted on disused site in Barnsley to bring more than 200 new homes and green benefits

Leading housebuilder Harron Homes Yorkshire has submitted a planning application to Barnsley Metropolitan Council for 236 new homes which will transform a disused brownfield site on Bleachcroft Way in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. The proposals will not only regenerate the site, which has stood empty for 50 years but it will also bring significant enhancements to the existing ecological features of the site including Dob Sike.  The development will deliver a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes all with electric car charging points and will feature green open spaces with picnic benches, a Trim Trail, a play area, footpaths, wildlife habitats, a woodland and 12.5 hectares of wildflower areas. The Dob Sike waterway is a historic area of high ecological value which is home to ancient trees, water voles and other wildlife. It will be restored and maintained by Harron and incorporated into the new development. The development will also feature an area of Birch Oak woodland that in previous plans for the site was lost. Tony Lee, Managing Director of Harron Homes Yorkshire, said: “We are delighted to have submitted a planning application for this new development. We are hopeful that our plans will rejuvenate this derelict site while maintaining the rich variety of wildlife which calls this site home, and bring much needed homes to the Barnsley area.” For further information about Harron Homes, please website the website, www.harronhomes.com/.  

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Yorkshire Homebuilder Welcomes New Construction Director

Robert Kerr from Rotherham, has recently joined the Leeds-based Harron Homes Yorkshire executive team as Construction Director. With almost four decades experience in the construction industry, it is a role he is well placed to undertake. Robert, age 54, who is known as Bob, was most recently Construction Director at a Bradford based housebuilder. Bob was attracted to Harron Homes because of the high specification of the properties it builds and the opportunity the role offered to develop the construction and customer care teams to further improve customer satisfaction. He said “It’s a very exciting time for the business and I’m eager to use my skills to drive Harron Homes towards its future goals.” Noel Adams, Managing Director for Harron Homes Yorkshire, said: “Bob’s wealth of experience means he was an obvious choice for the post. “Our operational area boasts some of the UK’s most attractive locations, some of its richest history and some of its most charming communities.  “I am proud to say that the company has experienced great success over the past two decades years bringing high quality, family homes to these areas and with Bob’s input we look forward to playing our part in meeting the continued demand.” When he’s not out on site, Bob enjoys both playing and watching football, and spending time with his family – wife Julie and daughters Lauren and Emily. Harron Homes is currently building a range of executive new homes across Yorkshire, from Harrogate to Barnsley and Huddersfield to Howden, including a number of new developments due to launch in 2020 in Pocklington and Carlton.  Harron Homes was founded in 1992 in Leeds.  For more information about careers or for details of the homes for sale visit www.harronhomes.co.uk.

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