Overview

We work with a range of national and SME housebuilders and housing associations to bring forward high quality homes across our sites as well as exploring new and innovative approaches with emerging providers and investors.

Why are they important?

As a leading Master Developer, whose product is serviced land, understanding and delivering on the needs of our customers is key to ensuring value and repeat business and attracting new customers.

What do they want from us?

Who are they?

Methods of engagement

We are constantly engaging with our existing customers in the context of ongoing delivery and with potential customers for future parcels to ensure that our product is optimised to meet their requirements. Whilst active on site, we hold portfolio meetings to focus on health and safety and sustainability. We actively encourage our customers to both participate in and contribute to community events and initiatives to further leverage the delivery investment for the community. The Board receives regular updates on delivery rates and housebuilder performance both in terms of health and safety and sustainability. The mix of housing type/tenure and provider are reviewed during the Board strategy day and market considerations are considered through updates and risk discussions. Board visits to site also provide an opportunity to see the housing in context.

How we engaged in the year

We have maintained a consistent dialogue with our customers and have closely tracked sales and marketing providing community support wherever appropriate. Sales levels have moved in line with economic confidence with an increase in Build to Rent disposals towards the end of the year. We have completed 8 parcel contracts to 7 housebuilders reflecting the reduced market demand but the continued delivery of high quality infrastructure, landscape and placemaking ensures that our sites remain well placed for market recovery. There are now around 42 housebuilders and contractors involved in our five-star health and safety engagement programme and there have been 76 consortium health and safety co-ordination meetings held across our portfolio of sites during the year.

Outcomes

Whilst construction levels have fallen, performance in terms of health and safety and community engagement has increased. Innovations in terms of incentives have included offering a family membership for a year to the new David Lloyd centre at Houlton following an introduction facilitated by our community team. Other housebuilders have sought to support biodiversity initiatives on site. Quality has been strongly maintained and with the ongoing delivery of site-wide infrastructure and community development, the sites remain well placed for economic recovery especially if the planning system remains sluggish in providing additional consented land.