Cala launches two new divisions in south east

Aaron Morby 11 years ago
Share

Edinburgh-based house builder Cala is ramping up its business in the south east with the launch of two new divisions.

The expansion forms part of a more ambitious plan to double the size of the house building business by 2017.

The Scottish house builder pitched into expansion mode after Lloyds sold the business a year ago to private equity firm Patron Capital Partners and insurer Legal & General.

A new regional division, headed by Duncan Jackson, previously managing director of Persimmon’s Essex business, will cover the North Home Counties.

This will encompass Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and London Boroughs down to Zone 3.

The new Southern Home Counties division will cover North Kent, West Sussex, East Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey and South London Boroughs.

Cala is still searching for a regional managing director for the territory and will appoint a boss later in the year.

The two new regional offices are each expected to deliver an annual development value in 2016 of £100m, rising steeply thereafter.

Alongside this, Cala has also appointed a new regional managing director for the group’s existing South division.

Nick Twine, previously south east managing director at Bovis Homes, has recently joined the group with responsibility for managing Cala’s development activity in Buckinghamshire, South Oxfordshire, Berkshire, West Surrey, parts of Hampshire and West London Boroughs.

Alan Brown, group chief executive, said: “After delivering record profits for Cala Homes during 2013, we are now investing significantly in new staff and top quality sites in new, high-growth markets.

“With a strengthened housing market and improving consumer confidence, our strategy during the first half of 2014 will be focused on increasing market share within the South East of England.

“With the financial firepower that our new, blue-chip investors afford us, we are now able to develop land within our landbank at a faster rate than ever before while identifying and securing the very best sites available in the South East.

He added: “I’m pleased to report that we continue to see positive organic growth within our West Scotland, East Scotland, North Scotland and Midlands businesses which, when combined with our growth forecasts for the South East, put us firmly on track to deliver our target to more than double the size of the business by 2017.”

Cala also forecast the business in the Midlands would almost triple its revenue over the next three years.

The group’s West Scotland business is expected to deliver revenue growth in the region of 70% during the same period while Cala’s North and East Scotland division is aiming to double its turnover by 2017.

Cala is investing heavily in its land bank to fuel its growth ambitions.

Since July last year, the house builders has contracted 1,824 plots with£681m development value, and has received consent on 15 sites, of 1,642 plots with an expected development value of £417m.

Its current land bank consists of 10,770 plots, including 6,200 consented and 2,700 allocated plots, a 16% rise in plots versus the previous year.

This excludes strategic land, which represents around 8,200 units.

Latest news

Comment: Gateway is acting like a barricade

Contractors left banging their heads on an (unbuilt) brick wall
21 hours ago

Final phase of £1.5bn Elephant and Castle revamp hits planning

Get Living submits revised plan for 500 homes and 450-bed student block
2 days ago

Ealing backs final phase of £1.3bn estate rebuild

Friary Park estate rebuild in Acton reaches end stage
20 hours ago

Green light for scaled-down Nottingham student tower

Glasshouse Street scheme will deliver 247 student rooms
21 hours ago

Aston Villa to revamp North Stand

Club to reuse existing structure rather than complete rebuild
2 days ago

Mace signs ex-ISG director to lead Euro health and tech push

Gary Sweeney to head up healthcare and life sciences consultancy arm
20 hours ago

Sir Robert McAlpine claws way back into profit

Firm says return to profit and strong cash balance validates new strategy
2 days ago

Severfield to cut staff by 6% amid pricing pressure

Steelwork contractor warns of extended tighter pricing due to project delays
2 days ago

JRL completes sale of 50% stake to Malaysian giant IJM

Deal boosts balance sheet and kicks starts growth plan
2 days ago

Green light for £100m Liverpool Baltic station build

Enabling highway works to start in the autumn
3 days ago

First live tests for flying construction robots

Drones can lay construction materials at height on site
2 days ago

Three firms land £170m Gentoo Sunderland housing deal

PHS Solutions, Esh and RE:GEN to deliver 10-year home upgrade plan
3 days ago

Gateway gridlock hits build-to-rent delivery as starts nosedive

Build to rent starts plunge 18% in the capital
3 days ago

Call to shift Gateway 2 checks to end building bottleneck

"The current system isn't working but we all want to see safe buildings"
3 days ago

GBN launches £600m bid race for SMR engineer roles

Owner engineers to provide technical and assurance services
3 days ago

Wates hires ex-Homes England chief to head public sector push

Robert Stone to spearhead its public sector and national frameworks strategy
3 days ago

Acheson Construction collapse costs suppliers £8.5m

One frustrated creditor seized a telehandler after contractor went into administration
4 days ago

Dominus wins go-ahead for 173-bed Glasgow scheme

Old Wynd Street job expected to cost around £25m to build
4 days ago

Safety Regulator misses deadline to clear Gateway 2 backlog

Investors pulling out of funding high rise buildings
4 days ago

CITB still sitting on £95m cash pile

Staff numbers jump from 666 to 763 as training body wage bill soars
4 days ago

£500m road surfacing framework market call

NEPO goes out to consultation on north east regional highways deal
4 days ago

Two share £220m Scottish rail repairs and minor works deal

AmcoGiffen and CPMS win civils and building repair deals
4 days ago

Builder wanted for £60m London leisure and flats job

Tower Hamlets aims to replace St George’s Leisure Centre in Shadwell
4 days ago

Contractor confirmed for business park expansion

Roe Developments to start on next phase of Castle Donington scheme
4 days ago

Driver escapes injury as scaffold collapses onto van

Major three-lift scaffold fall blocks north London high street
1 week ago

Gilbert Ash to be sold to staff

£267m turnover contractor to transition to an Employee Ownership Trust
1 week ago

M Group seals biggest-ever deal with Telent takeover

Digital infrastructure specialist deal lifts turnover to £3bn
1 week ago

Aggregates firm Ashville went down owing more than £3m

Debts revealed in Companies House update
1 week ago

Cardo saves 100 jobs at Breyer roofing arm

Private equity-backed Welsh maintenance group continues to expand
1 week ago

Excavator knocked off lorry going under bridge

Traffic Commissioner inquiry after accident in south London
1 week ago

Contractor services