RSS Feed

Related Articles

Related Categories

Leading housing developer announces 1,000 new homes in South Wales

18th January 2014 Print

The Welsh economy has been given a boost for 2014 after the country’s largest housing developer, Persimmon Homes, unveiled plans to open fourteen brand new sites across South Wales.

This has been facilitated by bold action in 2013 when Persimmon Wales contracted on new land, along the M4 corridor, and in West wales, with the potential to generate 5,000 new homes and a development value of £850 million over the next few years. This will feed into to the local communities whilst generating approximately 15,000 jobs in the total supply chain over the development period.

As a result Persimmon Wales has also launched a major recruitment drive to help deliver the 1,000 homes across all sites, and is now recruiting in all departments, from directly employed tradesmen, trainees and apprentices to senior managers, to join its workforce immediately.

The business has revealed new developments which will open in 2014 include Hawthorn in Pontypridd, Chepstow in Monmouthshire, Newport Gwent, Church Village, Birchgrove in Swansea, and sites in Bridgend and Llanelli.

The plans also include 450 new homes in Pembrokeshire where there is a considerable housing shortage – the new developments will include Bush Hill near Pembroke, Lamphey and Haverfordwest.

The new outlets will be the highest number opened by Persimmon Homes in Wales in such a short space of time since the recession hit in 2008, and will provide a much-needed boost for the Welsh housing economy.

Glyn Mabey, Chairman of Persimmon Wales said: “We are pleased to announce our expansion and recruitment plans for the year ahead which demonstrates our ongoing desire to invest in Wales and to support economic growth - we are doing our best here - but we do need some help to deliver.

“We have worked hard this last year to try to explain to the Wales Government and Local Authorities the hurdles we face in getting building work off the ground. As a first step we are delighted to see the Wales Government launch the Help To Buy Wales scheme as this will be a major boost to homebuyers and will significantly reduce their initial buying costs and put confidence into the market.

“However we still need much greater decisive action to speed up the planning system and to reduce some regulatory costs we face in Wales that we do not face in England, which would then allow us to invest in a lot more areas of Wales, which we are more than happy to do. Lack of supply is the biggest risk to the housing market in Wales.

“We will continue to meet with Local Authorities and the Welsh Government to discuss matters. We remain ready and willing to be part of the solution to economic growth if these bodies engage with us to kick down the hurdles.”

Persimmon’s announcement comes in the same month as the official start of the Government backed Help To Buy scheme in Wales. From January buyers of new build homes under £300,000, with a 5 per cent deposit, can apply for a 20% interest free government loan to help with the cost, meaning they only need a 75% mortgage – it mirrors a similar scheme that has been available in England since April, and it is hoped it will help buyers struggling to get on the property ladder.

To find out more about Persimmon Homes visit persimmon.com.