A DIRECTOR of independent housing developer Berkshire Homes has set an ambitious target to build 1,000 new homes in the next eight years.

Property has been in Harrison Kiely’s family for generations and after finishing his studies at St Gabriel’s RC High School, Bury, he followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, and worked in various areas of the industry before turning his hand to building high-quality, affordable homes.

Starting in 2012, during the double-dip recession, was a difficult time for the company.

Harrison said: “The biggest challenge we faced was the fact that banks just weren’t lending to first-time buyers. The demand for new, inexpensive homes was there but people were unable to get mortgages and get on the property ladder.”

Despite the economic climate, Berkshire Homes built Trinity Place, its first development of 16 houses in Leigh and was snapped up by homeowners in six months.

The developer has since built 200 properties across the North West and Wales, ranging from apartments to two, three and four bedroom homes.

Harrison employs contractors local to each development which, at any one time, can provide up to 500 jobs over a 12 month period.

It is now planning to expand around the UK and fulfil its aim of creating energy efficient and cost-effective homes which will help get more people on the property ladder. The company offers a number of schemes to make the often difficult process easier, including the government-backed Help to Buy scheme.

Harrison adds: “In 2018, we will build over 150 homes around the UK. We’re currently building in Bradford, Lancaster, Rossendale and we have also identified several new sites in the south which is very exciting.

“We’ve set ourselves an ambitious goal of creating 1000 new homes by 2025 which I’m confident we’ll achieve.”

Not afraid of a challenge, Berkshire Homes bought Holme Hall Manor, Cliviger, at auction in 2014. The world heritage site stood as a family home for more than 200 years and was once a retirement home and a nightclub. In 2004, it was gutted in an arson attack and stood derelict for 10 years, with the possibility of it being demolished if it wasn’t restored.

The team took on the project and over six months sympathetically renovated it, dividing it into 10 apartments.

Speaking about the development, Harrison commented: “Holme Hall Manor boasted a lot of history and several other developers had bought the site in the past but failed to begin the lengthy process of bringing it back to life. It was important that we sensitively rebuilt and modernised areas of the building so that it didn’t lose any of its charm. It’s my favourite development to date.”

The restoration won a CLR Venturous Builds award in 2016.

Current Berkshire Homes developments include; Awel Y Mor in Wales, Langdale Gardens in Blackpool, Tunwell Court and Weavers Park in Bradford and Waingate Mews in Rawtenstall.

Berkshire Homes’ head office is situated at Dalton Court in Darwen and currently employs seven full-time members of staff.

For more information, visit: www.berkshire-homes.co.uk or call the team on 01254 774 115.