Housebuilders and councils join Place’s campaign to end the viability crisis
Westchurch Homes, Bury Council, and Keepmoat are among the latest to support Mind the Gap, which aims to spur the government into providing meaningful grant support to unlock stalled projects and get the North building.
For too long, housing providers, developers, and investors have struggled to make development in the North stack up.
They have been loud and clear about what needs to be done to tackle the housing crisis. Place North has listened and is taking action.
Alongside Cavendish and Lichfields, Place North has launched Mind the Gap, a campaign for a government discretionary grant aid programme for the North.
Since the campaign launched, the property industry has responded en masse. Some of the North’s biggest developers, councils, and consultancies have signed up in support of the Mind the Gap campaign by adding their names to the list of signatories.
These include:
CERT Property, Genesis Homes, Placefirst, Turner & Townsend, Cityheart, Cushman & Wakefield, Hill Dickinson, Richborough Estates, Fairhurst Architects, Step Places, Mansell Building Solutions, Caro Developments, Hive Land & Planning, Casey Group, JLL, Persimmon Homes, Sheppard Robson, Chancerygate, Deetu, Alderley Group, BA Commercial, Cassel & Fletcher, Gleeds, Roberts Real Estate, OMD, WW+P, Story Homes, Mott MacDonald, Oakmere Homes, Brabners, Walker Sime, BDP, Sigma Capital, SimpsonHaugh, NJL Consulting, CBRE, Jarron Investments, Mosaic Town Planning, Progressive Living, Morgan Sindall Construction, Cole Waterhouse, BXB Land Solutions, MCI Developments, Maro Developments, Kirklees Council, Hull City Council, Savills, DLA Architecture, Layer.studio, Enabl, Manchester City Council, Ollier Smurthwaite Architects, Ion Property Developments, Aecom, Urban Green, NPL Group, Britannia Group, Wain Homes, Torsion Developments, Inacity, Benjamin Property Company, SCP Investments, Donald Insall Associates, HAUS Block Management, Broadway Malyan, Bury Council, Westchurch Homes, Keepmoat and many more.
What are our Mind the Gap supporters saying?
Lucid founder Jaimie Ferguson
“[More viability grant funding] would not only close gaps in development viability but also start to address the damaging differences in economic performance and quality of life that are significantly more costly.
“It would be an investment in the people and potential of the North of England, helping to unlock progressive change for the benefit of the whole country.”
Danny Hope, regional director at Hydrock now Stantec
“I have lived in the North West all my life and have worked in Lancashire and Greater Manchester throughout my career. I have long been an advocate for building on brownfield sites but of course this comes with viability challenges.
“I’m backing Place North’s ‘Mind the Gap’ campaign as I believe that increased government intervention in this area is long overdue and is much needed to help ensure the north gets its fair share of government funding and has its chance to grow and prosper.”
Lisa Marsh, associate director of partnerships at Peel Land
“The North has the greatest to gain, the land to make it happen and the will to deliver. Viability support is crucial to unlock sites, particularly large strategic sites where effort reaps significant reward to make meaningful headway to reach the government’s 1.5 million homes target.
“The Northern way is to not shy away from a challenge, but to be at the forefront of the response, confident in the ability to deliver, as a collective, in partnership, and at scale. This way viability intervention can break down barriers to opportunity, kickstart economic growth and deliver places fit for the communities of the North.”
Dave Saville, North West managing director at Caddick Construction
“Caddick is supporting the Mind the Gap campaign because we have first-hand experience of how the right investment can be transformational for our communities. This underpins our Places for Life ESG strategy, through which we ensure our work contributes to thriving communities and a thriving planet. Meaningful investment is about much more than buildings; it’s about placemaking and giving communities spaces to succeed both socially and economically.
“In a climate of uncertainty, investment in the North is a sure bet. Recent history demonstrates that in the North we have the skills and resources to make things happen, along with a determination to achieve and a strong record of delivery.”
Jonathan Willan, founder of Willan Living
“Willan Living is proud to support the Mind the Gap campaign. As an SME developer based in the North, we witness firsthand the challenges posed by the viability gap. The North has immense potential, with skilled professionals, communities eager for change, and a wealth of untapped brownfield opportunities.
“But to deliver much-needed homes and meet government targets, we need decisive action. A discretionary grant aid programme would empower developers to unlock stalled sites, creating homes and supporting economic growth. This campaign is a valuable step towards addressing the challenges facing our industry.”
Cllr Paul Drake-Davis, regeneration portfolio holder at Hull City Council
“Hull is ready to play its part in meeting the current housing crisis that is challenging towns and cities all over England,” he said.
“We can create thousands of new sustainable homes on brownfield land close to our city centre but with the challenge of low land values, flood risk, and decontamination costs plus unique and notorious ground conditions there will be inevitable viability gaps.
“That’s why I signed up for this campaign. Hull will do its bit but we need government funding to help give our ambitious plans lift off.”
Nicky Gordon, chief executive of Genesis Homes
“It is time this government had a reality check and started a serious housing-first, pro-development approach,” he said.
“After the last few years of rising costs through inflation, the last thing we needed was an increase in employment costs and talks of levy to enable nutrient neutrality stalled sites. It is time for the government to start project specific grant funding to see development get off the ground in the North.”
