Housing association beefs up executive team for 11,000-home push

Great Places Housing Group has appointed Helen Spencer as its new executive director of growth as it seeks to substantially increase its development programme.

Spencer has moved up to the 24,000-home association’s executive team from her role as development director, in which she has overseen the completion of 4,000 homes since 2016.

Spencer will take over responsibility for development, sales and business growth.

Great Places hopes the appointment will help it to build 9,000 homes by 2028 and meet a corporate plan target of completing 11,000 over the next decade. This would be a significant increase on its current development activity. This year it is targeting 858 completions, and completed 325 and 306 in 2020/21 and 2019/20 respectively.

The Manchester-based group increased its development target from 8,000 to 11,000 homes over 10 years following its acquisition of 4,800-home Equity Housing Group last year. It has also been allocated £240.8m to deliver 4,920 homes through a Homes England strategic partnership agreement.

Spencer will also oversee Great Places’ £750m Innovation Chain North construction framework, sales arm Plumlife and oversee growth of the association’s in-house contractor Terra Nova Developments.

Current executive director of assets and growth Peter Bojar will retain responsibility for repairs, assets and the environmental agenda.

Spencer said: “I’m really excited about taking on the new challenge as part of the executive Team, helping Great Places realise its ambitious development plans.

“I look forward to continuing to deliver a high volume of quality new affordable homes, progressing the excellent work with our Plumlife sales service and working with sector peers to champion the work we do.”