Having recently announced an ambitious ten-year business plan designed to drive significant expansion and sustainability, Croudace Homes is forging ahead with writing the next chapter in its already illustrious history. Someone who will be playing an integral role in this process, particularly in North Thames, is Karly Williams, who is now fully bedded into her position of Managing Director of Croudace Homes Ltd, North Thames, after joining the company from Barratt Homes in the summer of 2023.
“We’re gearing up for substantial growth, both within our traditional heartland of the Home Counties, as well as in the West and North Thames,” explains Karly. “We have already established an office in Theale near Reading to support our expansion westwards, while we will be setting up a Midlands office in the future to assist our strategy in this region too. The goal is for each office to eventually deliver 400 units a year.
“Geographically, the two new offices will supplement our more established offices in Letchworth and Caterham to allow us to broaden our horizons towards Swindon in the west and as far north as Birmingham. This will give us plenty to go at, with strong road links to make the process that bit easier.
“During the past 12 months we legally completed just under 350 units across the group, and this figure will be ramped up to 600 in 2025, thanks to the planning consents we have secured. We’re on course to achieve our targets having invested heavily in our land portfolio to support our plans over the next ten years. Everything is looking positive; we just need to make sure that we’re set up from a production point of view having put the infrastructure in place. We have built our teams to support the growth rather than running over on our overhead.”
With over 50 years’ operation under its belt, as well as a number of award-winning housing schemes, such as the Willowbrook development in Didcot that is nearing completion, Croudace has always moved with the times. This forward-thinking approach has once again come to the fore with the launch of a new sustainable housing collection called the Green Collection.
“The initiative is based on creating homes that will be as close to Net Zero as they can possibly be, while at the same time being aesthetically similar to our standard build,” outlines Karly. “It’s important that the properties look similar to our usual homes, because our elevational treatments are quite distinctive, as we build for legacy.”
To achieve its greener aspirations, Croudace is increasing the number of sustainable products it incorporates into its builds, while also trialling timber frame construction too. “We haven’t previously explored the timber frame route in larger volumes, so we’ve been slowly incorporating it in phases and widening it across the group. As a consequence, our environmental targets are really ramping up and will continue to increase moving forward.”
This more sustainable approach is already evident as we are developing our first Green Collection phase at Hermitage Park in Aylesford, where 32 units are currently in development as part of a wider 330-home scheme.
Croudace is busily paving the way for its future progression too. “We’ve worked really hard with our subcontracting base over the past 18 months to make the improvements we’re aiming for,” says Karly. “Previously Croudace had fewer legal completions, so had a lower number of properties to build. This meant the group could rely on a selection of smaller subcontractors. With our development pipeline growing, we have been expanding our subcontracting network to include larger companies. This gives us a better mix to work with and helps to manage risk.
“We’re really pleased with how the process has gone. We’re still supporting smaller contractors, as we don’t want to lose the fantastic relationships we’ve built up over the years, and yet we have also added larger operators that have allowed us to increase production while maintaining the high level of quality that’s so important to us. This has been a huge focus over the past 12 months and is an area I have personally concentrated a great deal of effort on since joining the company. We’re now fully seeing the benefits of this approach in action.”
With the hard work that has gone into building its infrastructure having come to fruition, Croudace has turned its attention to constructing the raft of properties it has secured planning for. “We’ve had just shy of 750 plots come through planning in the past 12 months, and we’re hopeful of another 1,100 within Q1 of 2025. Planning therefore continues to be a major focus for us. While there have been some delays, we’re generally pleased with the level of progress we’re making in-line with our overall growth strategy.”
In terms of putting holes in the ground and getting the pipeline of homes built, Croudace currently has 12 schemes in-situ across the entire group, with Karly’s remit covering the North Thames area. “We’ve got quite a few sites openings in the coming months. We’ve just launched three new sites in the South, and I’ve got three launching throughout the course of the next six to nine months in North Thames, so it will be a busy period for us, especially as our sales remain steady.”
With her work in strengthening the supply chain coupled with the impressive portfolio of housing schemes that are in production, it’s fair to say that Karly has had to hit the ground running after arriving at Croudace. This, however, has been a challenge she has thrived on.
“Making the switch from a large national operator to a smaller, more regionalised house builder obviously involved a notable change in approach, particularly as I’m now looking after many aspects of the company’s operation to a greater degree than I would have been. There’s greater flexibility now, which I love, and the ability to try a fresh approach, such as the timber frame trial, is extremely rewarding. What’s more, Croudace are a fantastic company to work for. They’re incredibly supportive and extremely people-orientated, with a strong emphasis on getting the right work-life balance.
“Of course there are issues to overcome too. We have to manage risk effectively at Croudace and be more proactive in meeting our targets. We do have annual audits, but not to the same degree as at a PLC. It comes with the territory, so it’s not been a huge surprise.”
Having successfully managed the transition from working at a national PLC to a regional operator, Karly is looking forward to making the most of the opportunities the market is offering, even if challenges remain for all housebuilders, regardless of size and structure. “New regulations and the change in Government muddied the waters somewhat, but we’ve proactively rolled with the punches and made the necessary adaptations. There have been hurdles to overcome, but we’re also continually learning to ensure we’re not left behind. Having come through the other side, we’re really well placed, which will set us in greater stead now there’s increased stability and confidence is returning to the marketplace.
“From a planning perspective, we’re hoping the changes made by the Government will begin to speed up the process. This will only be of benefit, because it’s been our biggest sticking point. When there’s an issue with planning, we’re delayed from starting onsite, which naturally adds pressure on build timelines.
“Looking at the wider group, the South is definitely about growth, with the region having doubled its output for this year in terms of legal completions.
“From a North Thames perspective, I’d like to be sitting here next year saying that we’re cracking on with a lengthy pipeline of sites having secured all the necessary planning. Due to the groundwork we have put in, we’re set up for the next three or four years and beyond if we’re able to secure the planning we’re aiming for.
“We will then be in an exceptionally good position from a production perspective for the region, particularly with the launch of the Green Collection. We’ve never had a sub-brand before, so making sure it gets off the ground successfully by providing the necessary marketing support will be key. We’ve appointed a new marketing manager for the group, who has come in with some tremendous experience. It’s a really exciting time for us as a business.”
While the prospects from a production perspective are looking positive, this won’t see any let up in Karly’s workload. “Once the wheels are fully in motion operationally, I’m keen to switch my attention to our people, as I really enjoy helping individuals develop their careers. Having a really strong team that excel in their roles will enable us to keep progressing and meet our future objectives.”
By putting people at the heart of the operation, as Croudace has done with Karly’s appointment, the company looks primed to make serious inroads into its ten-year plan moving forward.