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Can you share your background and what led you to your career in property development, particularly in the affordable housing sector?
My background is in business and finance, which I studied at university. The family business, with Kevin being the CEO, inspired me to pursue a career in property development. I started as the Land and Acquisitions Director and later progressed to COO after we brought on Nigel Blanchard for the Land Acquisitions role. This transition has allowed the business to grow significantly over the last 12 months. Watching Kevin and working in land acquisitions has been instrumental in my development.
Has anything within your career shaped how you approach acquisitions and operations?
Yes, I’ve focused on streamlining our land acquisition and planning processes. Bringing on better consultants has also been crucial. As COO, I’ve worked on sourcing more land, which has become more available to us since we’ve become a leader in affordable housing. Because of our reputation and the sites we’ve acquired to date, landowners now reach out to us directly. Working collaboratively with housing associations has also been key.
What are your primary responsibilities at Alderley Group?
My primary responsibilities include securing and packaging new land, acquisitions, planning, and partnerships with housing associations. I work closely with Kevin, our CEO, to drive new business into the company. Additionally, I lead the team and oversee the construction and delivery of our projects, ensuring we maintain our high standards and meet our development growth and targets.
How do you approach identifying and securing prime land?
We take a two-way approach:
We always ensure a robust return on capital, depending on the land price and potential yield. Involving our architects and planning consultants early on is crucial to achieve planning, which is important for our stakeholders.
What are the most important criteria when evaluating potential land?
Price is key. We need to ensure the land is priced correctly. Day one evaluations by planning consultants are essential, as planning is the most critical part of land acquisitions. We prioritise developing brownfield land to avoid impacting greenbelt areas, turning old commercial estates into new homes for future families, and facilitating affordable homeownership.
What challenges do you face in acquiring land?
The planning process is a challenge for all developers. Fortunately, our business model of delivering 100% affordable homes allows us to work collaboratively with planning authorities, aligning with the best interests of our external stakeholders, the local community and future residents.
Can you highlight a recent project you are proud of?
Povey Road in Warrington stands out. As the Land and Acquisitions Director at the time, I sourced the site, agreed on the deal, secured an 18-month option, and achieved planning for 45 retirement living apartments. We are now delivering the site in partnership with Housing 21, a leading provider of over-55 senior living and extra care in the UK. Working with such national organisations is a huge source of pride.
What strategies have you implemented at Alderley Group?
We use a fabric-first approach on all projects and have been a zero-gas company since 2019. We provide EV charging points and are adding solar panels to all projects. This approach helps lower electricity bills for residents and contributes to long-term sustainability, even if it costs us a bit more upfront.
How do you ensure your projects align with community needs?
Every UK community needs more housing, and providing affordable homes benefits local communities significantly. For instance, during the planning process for Povey Road, we received feedback about a three-storey element of one block. We reviewed the design, reduced the unit number by five, and lowered the floor height to address local concerns. Regular updates to the community have influenced the development process.
What is your personal motivation?
My motivation comes from delivering good results for our external stakeholders, the wider community, and local residents. Balancing the needs of all stakeholders and delivering a high-quality product for future residents is deeply fulfilling.
What advice would you give to someone aspiring to a leadership position in property development?
Explore every aspect of land acquisitions and property development, from the planning process and architectural design to land buying. Dive deep into each area and gain as much experience as possible.
What are your long-term goals for Alderley Group?
In the next five years, we aim to deliver 500+ affordable units and maintain a robust pipeline of 1,000 more. We plan to grow regionally, breaking into areas like Lancashire, Greater Manchester, and Staffordshire, and improve our presence nationally with various housing associations.
