West of England property group Andrews has strengthened its land and new homes team with the appointment of James Read to the role of land and development manager.
James, pictured, who will be based at the group’s Keynsham headquarters, joins from Bath-based social enterprise Curo, where he was land and acquisition manager with responsibility for securing land suitable for its commercial development. 
With sector experience spanning more than 10 years, he has a wealth of knowledge in appraising sites, securing planning permission and delivering excellent customer service.
Andrews said the appointment reflected its increased confidence as the recovery in the housing market took hold. Its land and new homes division works with developers of all sizes from small independents to larger national organisations across the South West and South East.
In his new role, James will be responsible for identifying new land opportunities which prove ideal for residential development across Bristol, Bath, Wiltshire and Somerset.
He said: “With such a significant shortage of housing across the South West, especially around Bristol and Bath, I am very much looking forward to getting land owners and developers together to agree deals that will go some way to rectifying this situation.
“My role involves a lot of getting out to meet landowners and developers, as well as assessing available land for its suitability for development and, while it’s certainly very busy, I thoroughly enjoy being an integral part of the process that will help provide quality new homes for local families.”
James will report to Martin Blake, Andrews’ head of land and new homes, who added: “Before embarking on his career in land acquisition and development, James in fact spent time working in residential sales here at Andrews. This, coupled with his more recent experience, means that he approaches each opportunity with a well-rounded view of what will make a successful development opportunity.
“He has demonstrated that he has the experience and passion to work with both the smaller-sized landowners and developers, as well as larger, well-known house builders. I am delighted to have him as part of the team and look forward to witnessing the opportunities that he brings to Andrews’ land and new homes business.”
