Member Article

New appointments at growing North East developer

A Consett based housebuilder has grown its team with the addition of two development professionals.

Technical Manager, Steven Bowers, 46, from Haswell, in County Durham and Assistant Quantity Surveyor, Sophie Charlton, 25, from Stanhope, in Weardale, join the business at an exciting time as it moves towards establishing itself as a 200 homes a year housebuilder by 2025.

Bringing over 20 years of experience, Steven, a fully qualified Architect, has previously worked within various architectural practices, on both commercial and residential building projects. As a Technical Design Manager, he has worked for a number of developers, including Wynyard Park, where he was responsible for liaising with Planners, NHBC and Energy Consultants, while at the same time, ensuring self-build plots met stringent design codes.

Since January 2020 he has been Technical Design Manager with another leading North East based housebuilder, developing standard house types and assisting in the delivery of schemes to site.

Steven said: “I’m excited to be starting work and it is already clear that I have joined an exceptionally capable and professional team. I had heard good things about Amethyst Homes previously and was impressed by the build quality and house types that I had seen. With so many new schemes in the pipeline, it is a fantastic time to be joining the business and I look forward to playing a part in the company’s ambitious growth strategy.”

With a background in both construction and property consultancy and working as main contractor on large scale commercial projects, Sophie brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise. She said: “I’m delighted to be joining Amethyst Homes and to be getting underway with this new challenge. The role is very different to that of a main contractor and I’m looking forward to being part of a team with more ownership over the management of projects.

“No two days are the same working in this part of the sector and the opportunity to grow and learn really excites me.”

Richard Bass, Development Director for Amethyst Homes, added: “Sophie and Steven are fantastic additions to our team and will play a huge part in enabling us to increase our activity as a business.”

Established in 2013, Amethyst Homes has built its business around its customers, with a strong emphasis on providing quality, sustainable homes in the communities in which people choose to live and work. To date it has delivered over 450 properties in the North East.

Currently operating across four live sites at Consett, Stillington and South East Northumberland, Amethyst specialises in a wide range of housing from starter homes to family properties and affordable bungalows.

In addition to its home building successes, since the beginning of the year, Amethyst has recruited eight new members of staff, trained two apprentices and invested over £3m into local jobs, training and the supply chain.

Both Regents Park and The Meadows won Premier Guarantee, Quality Recognition Awards in 2021 and 2022, for the high standard of homes delivered.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Paul Dobbie .