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The chair of Homes England has agreed with the housing secretary to conduct a review to ensure the agency is well placed to support the government’s housing aims.
Peter Freeman, who was appointed chair of the government’s housing delivery agency in October last year, will carry out a review “to help ensure Homes England is well placed to support the government’s ‘build back better’ agenda”, a spokesperson for Homes England said.
The spokesperson added that the review will look “at how Homes England is set up to deliver existing and future government housing ambitions”.
In October, Mr Freeman took over as chair of Homes England from interim chair Simon Dudley, who had been in place since Sir Edward Lister resigned as chair to become Boris Johnson’s chief strategic advisor.
MPs on the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee endorsed his appointment subject to his resignation from firms that could represent a conflict of interest – including the developer Argent, which he co-founded.
The Homes England spokesperson said that Mr Freeman’s “decades of industry experience” mean he is “well placed to work with colleagues in the agency and [the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government] to provide strategic leadership and promote the long-term, sustainable success of Homes England.
Earlier today, The Times reported that Mr Freeman’s review is expected to shift Homes England’s focus beyond housing supply towards a greater focus on regeneration.
It said the move follows a report from Nicholas Boys Smith, chair of the government’s new design body, that recommended reforms at the agency, and warned it against “subsidising ugly, obsolescent, alienating homes and places”.
According to The Times the report said previous bodies had “actively sought to improve the quality of new homes”, while Homes England has “evolved to become a hybrid of a bank, a developer and an affordable housing subsidy provider”.
In January this year it was announced that Nick Walkley was stepping down from his role of chief executive of Homes England, having led the organisation since its inception in 2018.
Gordon More, chief investment officer at Homes England, has taken over as interim chief executive.
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