Member Article

Godwin Group To Ease Nation's Housing Crisis With New Build-To-Rent Arm

Regional property developer and investment firm, the Godwin Group, has announced the launch of a dedicated Build-to-Rent arm of the business, with initial plans to build 2,500 homes to help ease the nation’s housing crisis.

Core Living will sit under the Godwin Group, but will only focus on building quality Build-to-Rent [BTR] properties, with plans to build the first 500 homes in Leicestershire, Yorkshire and the North from April 2019.

This announcement follows the Government’s efforts to tackle the UK’s housing shortage by defining BTR as a distinct product for the private rented sector in its National Planning Policy Framework glossary.

It is hoped this official definition will simplify BTR’s treatment within the planning system – meaning quicker access to approvals, site starts and completions, benefitting those looking for long-term rental property.

Stuart Pratt, Group Development Director at Godwin, confirmed: “Core Living is a new BTR focused brand, which has been created by the Godwin Group to assist the Government in tackling the housing shortage.”

“From April 2019, we will be working with local councils and housebuilders alike to provide much-needed long-term rental accommodation. This will not only include the usual BTR apartments in city centres, but also the construction of family housing rental units in wider city and rural areas to help ease the nation’s housing queues.”

Mr Pratt added: “We will be starting our first Core Living BTR build in Leicestershire, Yorkshire and the north, with an initial programme of 500 homes. We will then be targeting UK-wide locations with the aim of building another 2,000-plus homes in the following one to three years.”

With offices located in Birmingham, Nottingham and London, the Godwin Group has become one of the UK’s leading property development and investment firms, now boasting an extensive and diversified portfolio totalling £600m GDV across 2.5m square foot.

Core Living is the first BTR focused brand to be launched by the Group, with plans to operate on a national scale.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Victoria Fiddler .