We are accelerating our nationwide expansion with an updated strategic ambition to deliver 1000 homes a year.

Through a variety of delivery approaches, including joint ventures and acquisitions to complement the growing number of Placefirst-led developments, the new target marks a significant step forward in Placefirst’s commitment to increasing the amount of quality rental stock in the UK market.

Reflecting this strengthened commitment, Placefirst has signed forward-funded deals with Miller Homes and Vistry respectively, with completion expected in 2027. These two agreements will add a further 237 rental homes to the 326 homes acquired from five separate partnerships in 2024, alongside the 23 developments already in progress.

Vistry’s B2B brand, Countryside Partnership, is delivering a 139-home development in Mansfield where upon completion Placefirst will provide comprehensive support to residents by managing the lettings process, handling all aspects of property management and ensuring a high standard of living through a dedicated resident services manager.

Alongside a mix of one to four-bedroom houses for long-term private rent, Placefirst’s funding will enable Vistry Group to deliver of 17 affordable homes. The addition of these homes will support Mansfield’s progress towards its recently increased annual housing delivery target of 540 homes, making significant strides in balancing its current housing supply to meet growing demands.

The partnership marks Placefirst’s second development in the East Midlands following the acquisition of 34 homes from Jelson Homes in Corby.

With Miller Homes, Placefirst has agreed to a forward-funding deal to deliver 98 houses in the Portside Village development in Eston, Middlesbrough. This will be the pair’s second partnership following the deal to acquire 76 homes at Miller Homes’ Lunt’s Heath neighbourhood in Widnes, announced in July.

Strategically located just three miles from Middlesbrough town centre and a mile from Teesside Freeport, the development is well-placed to meet the area’s need for rental housing in an area poised for rapid economic growth.

Commenting on the deals, David Mawson, CEO of Placefirst, said: "Our commitment to growth is equally a commitment to improving the standard of rental housing in the UK. Delivering more homes alone won't meaningfully improve the rental experience without a focus on excellent design and construction standards.

"When selecting partners, we prioritise housebuilders who share our people-first approach to development through superior design and craftsmanship, which we can support with our in-house maintenance teams and dedicated resident services throughout the tenancy. Collaborating with trusted developers Vistry and Miller Homes has allowed us to unlock quality homes for long-term rent, advancing our ambitions for national growth to meet the continued demand, alongside a healthy pipeline of Placefirst-led developments."
 

Lee Parry, Vistry’s Managing Director for North East Midlands, said: “It’s great to be working with Placefirst in Mansfield as we embark on what we hope is the first scheme in a fruitful partnership. Together we can make inroads into the shortage of rental properties in the region, creating a thriving and sustainable community.”
 

Matt Bench, Group Managing Director – Partnerships, Miller Homes, said: “Miller Homes is delighted to be continuing our partnership with Placefirst by delivering these 98 new homes for Middlesbrough at Portside Village. We look forward to providing high-quality, sustainable homes and investing in the neighbourhood to ensure that the community we help build, and the people living in it, can grow and prosper.”

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Placefirst and Sky-House Co (‘Sky-House’) have launched a new partnership for the delivery of new housing schemes across the Yorkshire region.

The partnership has struck an initial deal to deliver 34 one and two-bedroom apartments and 14 two and three-bedroom houses at Sky-House’s Copper Street development, close to Kelham Island, following the granting of planning approval in October.

With completion expected in 2026, the development will also offer communal space for residents in addition to landscaped gardens in the neighbourhood’s centre.

The addition of professionally managed rental homes will strengthen Sheffield’s response to the nationwide rental crisis, expanding on Placefirst’s existing presence in the city with its Skye Edge and Gell Street developments. The growth in the developer-operator’s Sheffield portfolio will offer a much-needed increase in high-quality rental options for the growing non-student population.

Located within the area historically dubbed ‘Little Chicago’ , the project will knit the development into the narrow and steep streets, forming a new characterful and contextual neighbourhood that will expand on developments in nearby Kelham Island over the past two decades.

In line with all Sky-House homes, sustainability has been a core consideration of the Copper Street development from design to operation. As zero-gas homes with carbon reduction measures taken at every stage of construction, residents will benefit from high energy efficiency, keeping costs to a minimum. Furthermore, the fabric-first approach to heat loss, coupled with the latest eco-technology such as air-source cylinders, heat recovery and PV solar panels, will ensure its long-term sustainability.

David Cross, Co-Founder and Director of Sky-House, said:

“This is a superb deal for Sky-House and the City of Sheffield, providing us with the finance to move onto other sites in the region whilst also introducing a quality national PRS operator to Sheffield.

Our immediate focus is to complete site preparation works ahead of starting the build of the first home this side of Christmas. We’ll complete the build of all homes by the end of 2026, ready to handover to Placefirst for people to rent.

Placefirst has been an absolute pleasure to work with throughout the transaction and we look forward to this being the first of many between the two companies as we expand across the North of England.”

Henry Marshall, Investment Director at Placefirst, added:

“Our ambition to expand our portfolio is directly rooted in our commitment to increasing the supply of high-quality rental options, which is why partnering with SME housebuilders who prioritise quality without compromising sustainability is key to our growth strategy.

“Sky-House’s approach to design and creating homes that offer long-term value to residents complements our people-first approach to renting. We believe that city centre living should deliver on both quality and affordability. As we work together on this development with Sky-House, we look forward to building on the success of our Skye Edge and Gell Street neighbourhoods and continuing to improve the rental experience in Sheffield.”

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The development finance lender will provide a £7.14m facility to help us deliver an 89-home build-to-rent project in Esh Winning, Durham.

Atelier’s 17-month loan will support the ground-up development of the homes, part-funding construction costs. At its outset, the project was estimated at £13m.

The arrangement marks Atelier’s first project with Placefirst, the build-to-rent specialist active throughout the UK.

Earlier this month, Placefirst reached agreement with Sunderland City Council to deliver 165 homes at Farringdon Row as part of the Riverside Sunderland masterplan.
 

Anthony Dobinson, senior credit manager at Atelier, said: “We are delighted to be working with Placefirst, an award-winning developer, owner and operator of high-quality, energy-efficient homes.

“The Esh Winning scheme will provide 89 new homes, specifically designed and built to satisfy the demand for single family housing in the area. We look forward to working alongside Placefirst in delivering this scheme and assisting with future projects.”

Pod and Southern Green are part of Placefirst’s professional team on the brownfield project, where ground was broken in autumn 2022.

Lukman Sabir, finance director at Placefirst, said: “To deliver on our commitment to increase the number of high quality and secure housing options in the UK, working with a financial partner that truly understands the residential sector is essential.

“The loan provided by Atelier, along with their extensive experience in this space, partnered with its knowledge of our needs and ambitions, will provide the right kind of financial partnership that will see us continue to progress this development, bringing much-needed new housing to the residents of Durham.”

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We can proudly reveal the £4.5m transformation of 0.27 hectares of brownfield land into a high-quality build-to-rent scheme in Morecambe, Lancashire.

Consisting of 42 one to two-bedroom apartments, the now-completed Bay Mill scheme, named after the area’s history as home to Lancashire’s famous mills, offers homes within walking distance from the seafront.

With 50% of apartments let across the whole scheme, the need for professionally managed homes in the area is clear.

Lancaster City Council and Placefirst worked closely to develop plans which support the town’s wider regeneration ambitions after the local authority had spent many years looking for a solution for the site.

Speaking on the completion of Bay Mill, Phil Jones, Project Director at Placefirst, said: “Increasing the availability of high-quality housing that delivers lasting value for residents and the wider community requires collective effort. To deliver houses in the right locations that truly meet local needs, partnerships are key – and Bay Mill is a great example of why.

“Our collaboration with Lancaster City Council enabled us to identify suitable land in an ideal area, allowing us to provide apartments where they are most needed.

“As local authorities across the country consider how to boost housing supply, and our sector seeks to go even further to bolster its response to housing demand, private-public partnerships will be vital in successful delivery. At Placefirst, we remain committed to exploring partnership opportunities in the North West and beyond.”

In addition to Placefirst’s existing 107-home West End neighbourhood, the new Bay Mill scheme provides 42 much-needed rental homes for the seaside town as it continues to respond to increased demand for housing.

With an EPC B rating, the scheme offers an environmentally sustainable solution to the housing crisis. The energy-efficient homes also feature EV charging points and solar panels, alongside bike storage to encourage greener travel. Residential parking is included across the scheme.

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We’ve pulled together a list of festive and seasonal things you can do that are around each of our neighbourhoods. We hope you enjoy all our suggestions and enjoy the winter period. Please share with us any pictures you may take when visiting our suggestions – tag us on instagram, we love to see it!
 

Around our Welsh Streets neighbourhood in Liverpool

• Liverpool Christmas Market – located on William Brown Street, around St George’s Plateau and will be open now until 24th December

• Bar Hütte – located in Liverpool ONE’s Chavasse Park and is taking bookings until 31st December

• Royal Albert Dock Light Trail – located on the Royal Albert Dock and will be open until 22nd December

• The Snowman Tour – located in Liverpool Cathedral on 22nd December

Around our Elevate neighbourhood in Manchester

• Manchester Christmas Markets – across nine sites around the city and will be open until 21st December

• Toy Procession – located in St Ann’s Square at 12pm, 2pm & 4pm on 17th December

• Light shows at Mayfield Park, Heaton Park, Dunham Massey & Chester Zoo until 31st December

• Christmas Carols in the Stable yard – located at Tatton Park from 3-4pm on 17th December

Around our West End neighbourhood in Morecambe

• Dickensian Christmas Crime | Criminal Cabaret Murder Mystery – located at Castle Green Hotel 7:30pm-10:30pm on 19th December

• Christmas Craft – located on Royalty Mill at 12pm-3pm on 23rd December

• Festive 4k – located at Lancaster and Morecambe Athletic Club at 11am on 27th December

Around our Skye Edge & Gell Street neighbourhoods in Sheffield

• Sheffield Christmas Market – located in the City Centre until 24th December

• Santa’s Winter Village at Meadowhall – located at Meadowhall Centre and open until 24th December

• A Cathedral Christmas – located at Sheffield Cathedral at 7:30pm on 19th December

Around our Scholars View neighbourhood in Hetton le Hole & our The Green neighbourhood in Hartlepool

• Christmas at Beamish – located at Beamish Village until 24th December

• Flying Scotsman – located at Locomotion in Shildon until 7th January

• Winter Market – located at The Bowes Museum 10am-4pm 15th-17th December

• Forest of Light – located at Beamish Hall Hotel until 7th January

Around our Cross Heath Grove neighbourhood in Leeds

• Leeds Christmas Market – located around the city until 22nd December

• Ice Cube – located on Millennium Square Monday-Friday 12pm to 9:30pm, 11am to 10pm Saturdays and 11am to 7pm on Sundays until 31st December

• Winter at historic homes – Harewood House and Lotherton Hall open until 7th January, Roundhay Park and Temple Newsam open until 23rd December and Stockeld Park open until 8th January

Around our Woodnook neighbourhood in Accrington

• Christmas Tree Festival – located at Ernest Street Baptist Chapel at 1-3pm on 16th December

• Christmas Spectacular – located at Blackburn Cathedral 7:30-9:30pm on 16th December

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