Argent founder reappointed as chair of Homes England

Peter Freeman has been reappointed as chair of Homes England for a further two years.

Freeman, who completed an initial three-year this month, has had a second term confirmed by housing secretary Michael Gove, which means he will head up the board of the housing development quango until October 2025.

Freeman is responsible for overseeing the strategy of Homes England, which is responsible for the £11.5bn Affordable Homes Programme and other programmes including the £1.8bn brownfield fund.

Homes England in the summer published its long-awaited five-year strategic plan, which outlined a shift in focus towards regeneration, with performance judged by a much wider range of metrics including social value per pound of investment.

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Freeman co-founded the property development firm Argent with his brother, in 1981. The firm is the developer behind the regeneration of Kings Cross, and the redevelopment of Brindley Place in Birmingham and Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens.

In his role as chair, Freeman is responsible for leading the continued development of Homes England into a “commercially focused organisation” that works across the public, private and voluntary sector.