Countryside Properties - Committed to large scale projects

The Chairman of Countryside Properties Plc, Alan Cherry CBE DL, has this week reasserted the company's commitment to large scale projects and called for a new realism in the planning negotiations which govern these long-term developments in light of the unprecedented decline in new housing supply.

Speaking at the East Midlands Property Show, Alan Cherry set out a new ‘open book' approach, with financial disclosure at its heart, to working with the public sector and called for trust from all parties to conclude negotiations. He asserted that this was fundamental to keep new housing supply from drying up in the current economic conditions.

Alan Cherry stated: "An open book approach helps to demonstrate what a development can and cannot afford. This involves negotiating the percentage of affordable housing for the initial phase or phases of large projects before negotiating the obligations for subsequent phases in line with market conditions as they improve. It will take trust from both sides to make it work, but work it must to keep our much needed new housing supply from drying up for both private and affordable homes."

Countryside Properties has a strong record of delivery in urban regeneration and new sustainable communities. In the last six months the Group has received planning consent for over 5,500 new homes at major projects in Catford, Lambeth, Canning Town, Dagenham, Salford and Cambridge.

The company's commitment to design and place-making has recently been recognised by the award of the RIBA Stirling Prize for Accordia in Cambridge and following this week's receipt of two further CABE Building for Life awards, Countryside Properties holds more of them than any other private developer.