Ex-Barratt boss to head government's £2bn housing fund

The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has appointed former Barratt executive Stephen Kinsella to head up its £2bn accelerated construction fund.

Kinsella spent the last 11 years as the growth and partnerships director at Barratt Partnerships, the housebuilder’s national public sector team.

The HCA’s Accelerated Construction unit is a programme which sees the agency taking direct action to build homes on surplus public sector land.

Nick Walkley, the HCA’s chief executive, said Kinsella’s appointment was a “very important one” for the agency.

“We’re very pleased to have found someone who has the same ambition and passion to transform housebuilding in this country so more people can have a home of their own. Stephen is a private sector housebuilding leader with a comprehensive understanding of developing on public land.

“He will bring strong leadership skills, extensive industry knowledge and a track record for doing things differently,” he added.

The Accelerated Construction programme is backed with £1.7bn-worth of investment and plans to deliver up to 15,000 housing starts in the current Parliament.