Last updated June 23rd 2022
Hill Holdings
Based in Waltham Abbey in Essex, Hill Holdings provides new homes for private buyers and for statutory and voluntary housing providers. The group ranks among the largest UK housebuilders and in 2021 completed some 2 300 homes and revenues of around £750 million. Founded by Andy Hill in 1999, the group is involved in private homes for sale, partnerships & joint ventures and contracting.
Its main subsdiaries include Hill Residential which focuses on private homes for sale across London and the South East and has a £250 million land bank for 3,300 homes with full consent and another 5,000 in the planning process. It is also working on opportunities which will create a further 6,000 homes over future years.
Meanwhile, Hill Partnerships provides residential construction services to a wide range of local authorities and registered providers as well as to Hill Residential, mostly providing new housing. The group”s projects range from £1-65 million with around 50 projects on site at any one time, covering most types of housing. The group is also involved in a modular homes initiative and it has recently delivered some 700 units to a site Cornwall.
The group has made various board appointments – including regional director Tom Hill – to facilitate an expansion in the South West and growth at its Investment Partnership division which works with local authorities to deliver large-scale regeneration and housing developments.
The bulk of the company’s contracts are new-build residential projects on houses, flats, student, special needs and elderly accommodation but it also offers estate regeneration and major refurbishment projects. Its pipeline of work had grown in recent years and it is continuing to develop relationships with clients such as housing associations, local and education authorities and the MoD.
The group has 50% stakes in three investment partnerships: a jv with Cambridge City Council to deliver 1700 homes over an eight year period; a jv with Rushmoor BC to regenerate Aldershot and Farnborough town centres and a venture with South Cambs District Council. Hill has also been selected as a jv partner with Poplar HRVC for the regeneration of the Teviot Estate in east London which will involve 1,750 new homes and other facilities.
Hill”s hq is in Waltham Abbey- servicing London and the northern home counties – and it works through five regional offices in Cambridge, Abingdon in Oxfordshire, Norfolk and Crawley. It has also opened in the South West where it is underway with its first project and is planning a move into the Midlands.
In April 2022, CEO Andy Hill said the group’s: “… strong balance sheet, cash position and secured funding facilities means that we are well-positioned to make the most of market conditions in years to come, whatever they may bring.” The group has a target to double turnover and profitability by 2025.
Financials
To view the financials for Hill Holdings Ltd visit Companies House and use Company ID 04202304
Hill Holdings” saw much-improved results in 2021 as the housing market re-opened post-Covid. Turnover rose to £753.3 million in the year to end-December 2021 from £651.7 million previously and pre-tax profits increased to £65.1 million from £44.3 million. Meanwhile, the group also maintained a healthy balance sheet with cash at bank of £163 million, up from £138.3 millioin, which the group says puts it in a strong position to invest in its future pipeline. The group has additional capital after completing a re-financing of its portfolio with a five year loan facility of £220 million which is unused as yet.
Developments
Hill”s key specialisms include green field housing developments, extra care homes, mixed tenure urban regeneration projects, redevelopment of local authority-owned land and high density inner city housing projects. The firm also delivers complementary facilities including education, health, community and commercial spaces as well as student accommodation, special needs housing and energy-efficient developments.
Toay, the group is investing in what at sees as its core markets of London, Cambridge and Oxford.
In April 2021, the group formed a partnership with housing provider Home Group to deliver the regeneration of the Douglas Bader Park estate in Colindale, north London; a 1970s estate where some 750 new homes will be built and where it has recently secured planning permission. Elsewhere in the capital, Hill is submitting a masterplan for the Teviot Estate in Tower Hamlets which will involve around 1,800 homes.
Meanwhile, the first completions are expected in winter 2022 on a scheme of 780 new homes – 563 private and 217 affordable units – at Lampton Parkside in Hounslow in a partnership between Hill and housing provider Notting Hill Genesis.
In early 2022, the group secured the go-ahead for a scheme of 160 new homes in Croxley Green near Rickmansworth on a 7.5 hectare site next to Killingdown Farm.
Thomas White Oxford, the developer of St John’s College, chose Hill Group as its development partner for the first phase of new homes at Oxford North, a new life sciences district for the city. Thos. White has outline consent for a 64-acre masterplan for the scheme involving 480 new homes and significant investment in cycling, bus and highway networks. A public consultation was launched in autumn 2021.
Meanwhile, early in 2021, Hill and L&Q Estates launched a jv to promote a ”garden city” community east of Cambridge at Westley Green on over 1350 acres of strategic land beyond the green belt. The jv aims to deliver strategic infrastructure, employment uses and multiple phases of new homes.
Glenigan Data
Hill Partnerships was ranked 13th in a recent Glenigan Contractors league table; Hill Partnerships won 25 major contracts with a combined value of £939.5 million during the 12 months to March 2022. Meanwhile, Glenigan data also shows that Hill Partnerships started work in spring 2022 on a £13.5 million scheme of 126 homes and 54 maisonette flats at Brick Lane Farm at Cranbrook in Kent where work is set to run until late 2023 (Project ID: 16134927).
Conclusion: Strong track record in both private homes and in the affordable/regeneration sector
Thanks to its range of specialities, Hill Holdings is less exposed than many rivals to the mixed times currently facing most private residential and affordable housing providers. The company should continue to benefit from continuing healthy levels of private housing volumes and more government spending in the affordable sector. A good regional spread across the south and a strong track record in the regeneration sector should also mean that the group”s affordable housing business can take advantage of more generous funding for the sector.
How To Win Work with Hill Holdings
Hill emphasises its ‘can-do’ mentality and its philosophy is to drive forward change. It is a supporter for innovation and continuous improvement in products and processes and is keen on sustainable building methods and R & D. A section on the group’s website gives details on how its supply chain operates which can be seen here.
Key contacts at Hill:
Luke Phillips, Head of Estimating
Tel: 020 8527 1400
Dean Miller, Project Manager
Tel: 020 8527 1400