The new land director for a South Yorkshire housebuilder is focused on bringing more new homes to the region.
Matt Barker brings with him more than 20 years’ industry experience as he joins Persimmon Homes South Yorkshire, and aims to acquire new sites throughout South Yorkshire, and Central and North Lincolnshire. ,
The role will see Matt acquire both short term and long term residential development sites of varying sizes to help strengthen the business, creating many new homes for the years to come.
The 45-year-old joins the company from Linden Homes, now part of the Vistry Group, and is also using his land acquisition expertise to mentor the senior land manager in the Persimmon Homes Yorkshire division.
Matt said: “I am delighted to be part of the Persimmon Homes family. It feels a privilege to be working across the two regions as its give me a broader understanding of the challenges and opportunities available to sustaining future business ventures. We are looking to add talent to our land and planning teams in Doncaster and York and have recently recruited Nicola Mannion as a planner, who joins us from Redrow Homes.”
Inspired by his father’s profession in local authority housing, Matt completed a degree in building surveying at Leeds Metropolitan University. His early career was spent at an architects’ practice before progressing to the housebuilding sector, where he specialised in project management and then later in land acquisitions.
Progressing up the career ladder, ambitious Matt built his knowledge and expertise working with a range of leading housebuilders, covering the entire Yorkshire region, and has held the role of land director for more than 10 years.
Richard Hosie, director-in-charge for Persimmon Homes South Yorkshire, said: “The role of land director has many facets including responding to the challenges presented by the continual changes in the political, economic, planning and regulatory environment that impacts on the industry and particularly at the land buying end of the business.
“I am pleased to welcome Matt to my team. His experience is an asset to the business and will play an integral role in our strategic plan to grow our portfolio of future developments.”