Aequus

Welcome from Cllr Kevin Guy, Leader Bath & North East Somerset Council and Shareholder for Aequus Group

Dear Candidate

Thank you for your interest in applying for the role of Executive Director Operations with the Aequus Group.

This is an exciting time for the Council’s housing development and rental companies within the Aequus Group. I have just approved the latest three-year business plan which will build on the success of the companies to date and take forward planning and delivery for a significant pipeline of sites with Bath & North East Somerset Council and our partner councils South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

B&NES Council has prioritised the delivery of ‘the right homes in the right places’ through the adoption of its Corporate Plan identifying housing as one of the nine key priorities to support its one overarching purpose of Improving Peoples Lives

We are therefore asking the company to deliver on a range of objectives which include delivering quality, sustainable homes in our local communities whilst growing the annual financial returns to the Shareholder over the next three years. This includes supporting the Council to deliver our ambitions for new council housing with an aspiration to deliver hundreds of new affordable homes by 2030. Over the next six months we will be further exploring the key role Aequus will play in delivering not only our existing pipeline of council homes but, also how we can maximise the opportunities to deliver additional affordable homes.

Sustainability is a key consideration for the new homes that Aequus are building, and the company has set out in its business plan how it will support the Shareholder in meeting the climate emergency challenge with the delivery of efficient, low energy homes. This includes exploring innovative solutions to continually enhance the performance of future homes whilst delivering developments that are commercially viable.

This role provides a fabulous opportunity to join the Aequus Group as it builds on its success and expands to meet our aspirations as a Council and Shareholder. You will play a key role in leading the design and delivery of the development pipeline as well as working with the Council and our partners (existing and new) to identify more opportunities for the company. You will have a strong commercial approach to ensure the company meets its delivery and financial targets ensuring Aequus has a successful and sustainable future.

I look very much forward to receiving your application.

Cllr Kevin Guy

Welcome from Sally Higham, Chair of Aequus Group

I would like to introduce myself, I am Sally Higham, the newly appointed Chair of the Aequus Group. I am taking up my role fully in early May 2024 and I am pleased to have the opportunity to help realise the company’s potential for growth and innovation. I am looking forward to working with the council and the team at Aequus to both develop and deliver more homes to the area.

Aequus Group Holdings Ltd (AGHL) and its associated companies are wholly owned by Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES), and was set up in 2016 to develop, deliver, own and manage property for both the rental and homeowner’s market. Aequus are experts at building and providing great places for people to live in and around Bath and deliver quality developments in great locations through our two associated companies;Aequus Developments Ltd (ADL) – management of private rental and Aequus Construction Ltd (ACL) that develops housing primarily for sale. Both companies are increasingly focussed on supporting the B&NES to deliver more affordable housing.

We value innovation and strive to find new and better ways to deliver our objectives while remaining fiscally responsible. As part of our business plan running through to 2027, we will deliver £1 million of sustainable annual revenue financial returns to the Council as Shareholder, rising to at least £1.5 million by the end of the plan period. We are building on our successful partnership with South Gloucestershire Council, we have also recently agreed to extend our partnership working to include North Somerset Council. This brings our pipeline of potential sites to over 600 homes for planning and delivery.

Working with the Managing Director (Tim Richens), we are now succession planning for the retirement of our Executive Director Operations, seeking to recruit an experienced individual to continue to build on the great success of the company to date.

We are looking for an Executive lead officer who will play a pivotal role in securing and driving our pipeline development programme, optimising commercial and affordable housing outputs, and ensuring the successful delivery of housing projects. Leading the design, business development, delivery and sales areas of the business, you will ensure the successful design and delivery of a range of residential-led development projects to meet the company objectives and financial returns as agreed by our Shareholder, Bath & North East Somerset Council.

Delivering the priorities and objectives set out in our business plan for the next three years will take strong leadership, and this an excellent opportunity for an experienced and talented individual to join the focused and ambitious team at Aequus to deliver outstanding outcomes for our communities, our Shareholder and our partners.

We are poised for growth. If this opportunity, our values and goals match your ambitions, please come and join our team!

Sally Higham