Build September 2016

Build Magazine 24 Construction Following 12 strong months of trading in the region, housebuilder Morris is continuing to expand its Midlands operations with the creation of a new Morris Eastern division. These strong sales indicate a bright future for the award-winning housebuilder, as Adam Knight takes the helm of Morris Eastern, while Dominic Harman takes the reins of Midlands Division. orris is one of the country’s largest privately owned house builders. Based in Cheshire, the award-winning company provides new homes across the North West, Midlands and South of England. More than 90 per cent of the firm’s development projects take place on previously-used brownfield sites, transforming existing buildings and disused land into well- designed, energy-efficient housing. Morris were also the first house builder in the UK to comply with SAP 80+, the Government’s accreditation energy efficiency scheme and hold a What House? Award for Best Energy Efficient Development. Demand for new homes across its divisions has showed no sign of slowing post-EU referendum, and as the fundamentals of the market remain strong, future expansion looks likely for the independent housebuilder, whose forthcoming developments include sites at Alconbury Weald, Stamford, Rugby and Milton Keynes. Former Morris Midlands managing director Adam Knight will lead the new Morris Eastern division when it becomes fully operational in September and new hire, Dominic Harman, takes over as managing director of the existing Morris Midlands region. Dominic joins Morris from Taylor Wimpey and brings extensive sector experience to the role. He will oversee growth and development and work closely with regional colleagues to maintain sales and high standards across the UK. Morris Celebrates Year of Growth with Midlands Expansion M Dominic says he is enjoying becoming part of the Morris team – a company he has long admired. He explains: “Morris has a great product and has always enjoyed a reputation for producing the type of well-constructed, quality homes people want to buy and invest in so when the opportunity arose I didn’t hesitate. “This is an exciting time for housebuilders and Morris is experiencing significant demand in the Midlands, so I’m looking forward to being part of a dedicated, growing team. Of course, it’s too early to predict what the long term implications of the EU referendum on consumers will be, however we are seeing continued, healthy sales and with good mortgage availability and low interest rates we are confident of further growth and expansion.” Speaking about his new role as Morris Eastern region managing director, Adam Knight, says: “The Midlands has always been a key area for us and as we continue to work to meet demand, the creation of a new East Midlands region was a logical next step.” Having two divisions will allow us to serve the needs of both communities even better. As someone who lives and works in the East Midlands I am looking forward to bringing even more high-quality homes and jobs to the area.”