Bugler Developments and the 1.5m New Homes Campaign

Bugler Developments is co-sponsoring a series of videos about housebuilding in the London Borough of Ealing, which is incorporated into the December feature of the campaign 1.5M New Homes: The Local Government Challenge.

One of the key issues emerging from the programme is the impact that contractor vulnerability has on councils’ ability to deliver new homes. In one episode, Ealing Council principal project manager Sam O’Neill discusses how difficult it is to reactivate the regeneration of the 264-home, 1970s High Lane estate in Hanwell, after the Council’s development partner went into administration.

“If we haven’t got contractors who are resilient enough to deliver for us, we just won’t have any homes,” adds assistant director for housing regeneration, Emma Osmundsen. “Part of managing [the] precariousness is being a lot more mature and sophisticated in how we manage risk. And we manage risk together, with our supply chain.”

In the video, Bugler Group CEO Andy Bugler describes how we have avoided the financial issues that have seen 4,264 firms go out of business over the past year, up 32.5% on pre-pandemic 2019. “It’s all about carefully controlled, organic growth,” he says, advising councils and contractors both to work more collaboratively, share financial risk and reward where it makes sense and, above all: “Know your partners culturally. Don’t just get a financial check. Ask the real questions. Speak to everyone who’s involved with that partner.”

1.5M New Homes: The Local Government Challenge has published videos featuring London Borough of Ealing throughout December, including interviews with the leader, councillor Peter Mason; strategic director of economy and sustainability Peter George; assistant director of housing regeneration Emma Osmundsen; principal project managers Sam O’Neill and Alison Mayer, regeneration manager Sarah Phillpot and senior engagement officer Esra Abd Elrahman – as well as the interview with Bugler Developments CEO Andy Bugler.

As well as councils and contractors working together more collaboratively, episodes cover the ingredients for the successful regeneration of Acton Gardens; what needs to change to reactivate regeneration on the High Lane estate; the local politics of housing delivery in Ealing; starting and sustaining careers in public sector housing delivery; and the skills development needed to get more homes built.

Bugler Developments is delighted to be co-sponsoring the London Borough of Ealing series. Andy Bugler, Bugler Group CEO said: “It’s really important that councils are doing everything they can to get more homes built. Whether that’s as planning authorities, as partners with the private sector or directly themselves. And it’s equally important that we all work more collaboratively together, to give us the best chance of building all the homes we need.”

Watch the video series here: https://tinyurl.com/4w5sw9j8