Express & Star

Keon aims to help meet affordable homes need

A new business which aims to regenerate Midlands neighbourhoods by providing much-required affordable homes has been launched.

Published
Warren Bolton, director of Keon Homes with Noel Sweeney, chairman of parent company Tara Developments

Keon Homes has bought head office premises in Chasetown and is planning to reach a turnover of £25 million by the year 2020, providing properties for people in housing need.

The firm will be headed by founding director Warren Bolton, who has 17 years’ operational and commercial experience with two national house builders.

“We know that the country is facing a huge challenge to provide enough low cost homes so our mission is to work with registered housing providers and local authorities and to ‘unlock’ development opportunities in the region – particularly small to medium sized brownfield sites.

“The significant investment we will be making is good news for the region in terms of housing provision, employment and regeneration,” explained Mr Bolton.

Having overseen a range of new build and refurbishment housing projects in the Midlands, valued up to £50m, he says he has identified a gap in the market for a company like Keon.

“There is definitely potential in the Midlands for more affordable homes to be built by a specialist firm utilising local skills and experience,” he said.

Keon has been set up by Tara Developments which owns successful house building companies Cameron Homes and Galliers Homes in addition to leading groundworks firm Chasetown Civil Engineering

Mr Bolton added: “We have everything in place to hit the ground running, developing around six sites next year and more the year after.

“Keon will be able to fund land purchases, offer design and build or build-only services and our land-led model will find, secure and purchase sites suitable for low cost housing, with support from our wide base of stakeholders built up through years of strong partnerships.

“With the support of our parent company we have the capability, flexibility and financial backing to take on simple or complex projects and expect to be building around 100 units in our first 12 months.”

He said that a further director was set to be recruited and by the end of 2019 up to 10 people would be employed at the new head office in Chasetown’s High Street.

The firm will be operating in Staffordshire, the East and West Midlands, Worcestershire and Shropshire.