1. Richard Burrows Biography
Managing Director of:-
Bellway Homes Ltd (Essex)
Director of :-
Barking Riverside Ltd
Barking Riverside Community
Infrastructure Company

2. About Bellway U.K’s 4th Largest House builder
Operate from 17 Divisions
Last year built:- 7,752
Turnover:- £1.765billion
Market Value – In excess of £3billion
Bellway Essex: One of the largest divisions in the Group
Builds around 850 dwellings per annum (predominantly in Essex)
Notes:

3. Bellway Essex Current areas of operation:- Chelmsford – 3 sites
Colchester – 3 sites
Braintree – 3 sites
Brentwood – 2 sites
Basildon – 1 site
Harlow – 1 site
Barbergh – 1 site
Southend – 1 site
Rochford – 1 site
Uttlesford – 1 site
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

4. Market Context Remember why housing starts are down:-
We are still emerging from a major recession
Recovery will take time
Not all house builders have fully recovered as yet
Land banks take time to re-establish
Lead in times for developments are protracted
New problems emerging:-
Labour – Skills
Materials
Factory gate prices
Inflationary factors
Build cost inflation major issue
Uncertainty caused by initiatives such as ‘Starter Homes Initiative’ and ‘Right to Buy’

5. But Underlying strong housing demand
Continuing historically low interest rates
Government initiatives, such as ‘Help to Buy’
Growing population
Generation rent
P.R.S

6. The Developers View Housing growth – Can it be delivered?
How much capacity exists in the system? – This is a major question.
Challenges to increasing capacity
Planning
Land Supply
Deliverability (Labour skills & Material)
Attitude: Local Authorities need to want growth.

7. Planning
We are now beginning to see the results of NPPF and the previous coalition approach come together.
In many Districts/Borough’s planning is freeing up.
But in those Districts/Borough’s where it is not, you will need to try harder if you want to development.
5 year land supply targets are working, this is a blunt tool to help drive development.
If you do not want development/help. O.K.
But we will not come chasing you.
We will choose where to invest our time, money and resources in those authorities that welcome us.
Notes:

8. What can be done to help? Land Supply Lazy Assets Vacant Land
Estate Regeneration
N.H.S
H.C.A
Local Authorities
County Councils
Do these bodies have effective strategies for dealing with Lazy Assets

9. Collaborative Approach
Bodies such as TGSE provide a forum for improved dialogue between the private and public sector.
This approach is also being adopted in Cambridgeshire
Also being raised by the County Council and senior officers and members under devolution of powers initiative
Generally we welcome any opportunity to share views and ideas

10. What are the obstacles? Land Supply:- Greenfield Brownfield:-
Developers are not afraid of brownfield developments
We have considerable expertise to deliver
European Procurement Rules
On publicly owned assets this is a real obstacle
Lack of personnel at local authorities, County Council, Statutory undertakers all slows up the ability to start on site. This is generally as a result of staff cutbacks and lack of entrants coming to the industry

11. Viability S106 Requirements are becoming overly onerous.
Especially around cash-flow
Uncertainty over affordable housing values
A level playing field would help
Transparency – CIL
Will the D.C.L.G. letter help?

13. Deliverability Skills Building is not trendy or fashionable
We do not bring school leavers into the industry
We need improved availability of apprenticeships
Does not end at site level
Need to make areas such as planning attractive
- For example: we have been seeking a planning graduate for
6 months with no success
We have given up now !!

14. S.M.E’s
With improved access to funding there is considerable capacity in sites of units. Generally major housebuilders do not like to develop at these levels, mainly because overhead recovery is not possible against the land value being sought.
Problem is that this area of funding is still constrained and considered too high a risk.
Possible County Council funding
Joint ventures with public bodies
Or pooling of sites to make viable for major housebuilders

15. Solutions
- Room for more partnership working, freeing up the public sector assets
- More open dialogue
- Come and talk to us: we do have some good ideas
- Plenty of funding presently available to larger developers

16. Conclusions Underlying housing market continues to be robust
Land supply could be improved
Planning generally does work in most cases, but advancing local plans would be an additional aid
Better dialogue between the public and private sectors.